Harry Potter and the Hunters of the Dark Arts
by D.K. Dracona
Summary: Dumbledore needs to find a new teacher for the once again open Defense Against the Dark Arts position, and an old friend recommends some unconventional people.
1. Unconventional Teachers

Dumbledore needs to find a new teacher for the once again open Defense Against the Dark Arts position.

Takes place in Year 5 of HP and Season 8 of SPN after Episode 8x17 Goodbye Stranger (Before the angels fall from heaven)

Disclaimer: Supernatural belongs to Eric Kripke and the CW and Harry Potter is owned by J. K. Rowling. (Canon facts sources: Harry Potter Books. Supernatural TV series. Supernatural. wikia .com, Harrypotter. Wikia .com, and the Supernatural book of monsters, spirits, demons, and ghouls.)

Written because of that silly meme on Tumblr. Happy reading:

 **Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Albus Dumbledore (Headmaster of Hogwarts)

Dolores Umbridge (Madam Undersecretary)

Don Stark (800 year old wizard)

Maggie Stark (800 year old wizard)

Gellert Grindelwald (Dark Wizard)

Severus Snape (Head of Slytherin House, Potions Professor)

Minerva McGonagall (Deputy Headmistress of Hogwarts, Head of Gryffindor House, Transfiguration Professor)

Dean Winchester (Hunter just resurrected from Purgatory)

Sam Winchester (Hunter)

Crowley (King of Hell)

Kevin Tran (Prophet)

* * *

Chapter 1: 

Dumbledore sat in his office slowly rubbing his temples trying to lessen his headache. The search for a new Defense Against the Dark Arts teacher was proving more difficult this year then it had in the past, with almost no applicants and the Ministry of Magic pushing for one of theirs to take over the job. A Dolores Umbridge. He had met the woman before, a most unpleasant person who wore too much pink and frills. He shuddered slightly at the memory.

He heard a whoosh and the flames in his fireplace turned green. Happy for the distraction Dumbledore stretched and walked over as the head of a man appeared in the fireplace. He had dark slick backed hair and could vaguely be seen wearing an expensive muggle business suit.

"Ah! Albus!" The man said. "I'm glad I caught you…. Seriously why can't Hogwarts have a computer or a phone! It would make this so much easier… Not really a fan of the ash that Floo Powder leaves behind." He paused and glowered at the fire under his head.

"Good Evening Don." Dumbledore said with a smile on his face.

Don looked back up at Dumbledore, "Do you mind if I come over?"

"Of course."

"Great" Then Don's head disappeared and a moment later he walked through the fireplace. Dumbledore stepped back and motioned to some couches close to the fireplace for Don to sit, then went and poured a glass of Firewhiskey for both of them.

"Thank you." Don said. "I feel like it's been centuries since I last had a glass."

"How can I help you?" Dumbledore asked after settling down himself.

" Ah! Yes… I wanted to invite you to Maggie's 800th birthday party."

"Has it been a hundred years already?" Dumbledore asked with a small shake of his head.

Don laughed. "I remember meeting you and that young Gillert fellow at her 700th birthday party." His smile disappeared after a moment's pause. "I heard about what happened between you. I'm sorry."

Dumbledore gave an uncomfortable shrug. "How has Maggie been doing?"

"Oh you know, the usual. Art, Charity Auctions, Etc. How about you? Still searching for a new Defense Against the Dark Art teacher?"

"Why? Did you want the job?" Dumbledore asked a small gleam of hope in his eyes.

"God no!-I guess that means yes?"

Albus sighed and took another sip of firewhiskey. "My current options are a Ministry of Magic witch and Snape."

"Ugh. Still dealing with that pesky Ministry?" He shook his head but didn't let Albus answer. "Well I don't want the job and I know better than to ask Maggie… You would end up with half the school with hex coins under their beds...But I could recommend someone if you want...well 'someones' I guess. Although they are _unconventional_."

Dumbledore's blue eyes lit up. "Unconventional? How?"

"Well for one they usually _hunt_ witches."

Dumbledore rocked back in his chair. "Hunters?" His brow furrowed and he thought about it for a while. Hunters were rare and hard to find, and the few Albus had run across had had very low opinions of the magical community. "Do you think they would agree?"

"Well they did help when Maggie and I had a fight last year or has it been longer? Anyway...after they tried and failed to kill us of course. They still owe me a favor."

Don finished his firewhiskey, stood up and put the glass down. "Well are you coming? I put a tracker coin in their car in case I ever needed to find them and they won't be staying in one place for long."

Dumbledore laughed and after leaving a note for Minerva followed Don Stark through the fireplace to America to see if he could convince these "Hunters" to teach at Hogwarts.

* * *

They arrived at Don's fireplace in the U.S. and from there apparated to the front of what Dumbledore could only think of as a cheap motel with a black Impala parked outside. The neon sign read 'Sunset Motel'. Don nodded toward one of the doors and they both apparated inside.

The room had two queen size beds where two bodies could vaguely be made out in the dark of the room, but before he could take in much more he found himself at the end of a gun.

One of the men had obviously been hiding it under his pillow.

Don sighed and waved his hand causing the gun to fly across the room and fall harmlessly on the floor.

"Is that really necessary?" He asked. The other man shifted slightly on his bed and turned on the lights.

"Who're you?" The first man asked in a gruff voice, glaring at both wizards.

"Wait I know you." The second man said as he tucked his long hair away from his face. "You were the witch with marital problems."

"What you mean the one that helped us with the Leviathan?" Dean asked taking a closer look at the second man in the room.

"Glad to see you remember me."

"Well who's Merlin over here then?" He asked tilting his head towards Dumbledore.

"My name is Albus Dumbledore. I am the Headmaster of Hogwarts. School of Witchcraft and Wizardry."

"There's a _school_ for Witches?! Do you all sit around and worship demons?"

"What? No!" Dumbledore said in shock." I was hoping I could entice you gentleman to take a teaching position there?" He continued in an amused voice.

"No."

"Wait Dean." The second man said moving to sit more comfortably on the edge of his bed. "Why are you asking us?"

Don replied, "The position has been cursed for over fifty years to not be able to have the same teacher for more than one year. Seemed like a 'case' you would enjoy."

"Still no. We've got way too much on our plates at the moment. Go ask someone else." Said the one named Dean.

"Where is this School?" The other asked. Dean looked over at him in shock but the long haired man just ignored him.

"Scotland. I would show you where but the school is under an unplottable spell." Dumbledore said.

"Like a giant hexbag?" Dean asked slightly interested in spite of himself.

"Crude but accurate." Don replied.

"We would be compensating you of course. Would 50,000 galleon each for the year be enough?"

"Galleon? What's a galleon?"

"This." Don said tossing a coin to Dean, who looked at the it.

"Sam, it's a gold coin…"

Sam rolled his eyes at Dean before turning back to Dumbledore. "Is the school warded?"

"With the most powerful wards you could imagine." Dumbledore said with pride.

"Does it work against Demons? Angels?"

Dumbledore's eyebrows shot up.

"Demons yes." Don replied instantly. "Not sure about angels. Why?"

Sam nodded thinking for a moment. "Dean." He said carefully, "Do you think it might work?"

Dean rubbed a hand over his face thinking. "Well Crowley won't expect us to go to another country, and if we really need to we could always add angel proofing later."

The two men looked at each other as if they were having a wordless conversation before nodding in agreement.

"We'll take the job, but we have a few conditions." Sam said.

"And what would those be?" Don asked.

"As Dean had said earlier, we're in the middle of something. We'll come but only if you'll give room and board to our friend as well."

"Then we have a deal." Dumbledore said. "School starts next week. Just make sure that both of you and your friend are holding on to this at a 10:06 AM on August 30th." Dumbledore held up a small shot glass. "That will allow you time to settle down before the students arrive."

* * *

Sam and Dean arrived at the small boat that Kevin Tran currently called his home.

They knocked quickly two times followed by three slow ones.

A small Asian teen opened the door. He had a harassed look on his face and quickly glanced around before he let the two brothers in.

After testing them with silver and holy water Kevin went back to the desk he had been sitting in. There was paper cluttered all around and what looked to be a stone tablet that had been broken.

"Hey Kevin." Sam said putting a bag of burgers down.

"You look like hell." Dean said shooting Sam a concerned look." When was the last time you got some sleep?"

"Hm...Ah...What? Oh! Sleep? I don't know, I got about 2 hours last night." He said before going back to his work.

Dean and Sam looked around the boat at all the sigils on the walls.

"So, Kevin. Dean and I are going to be out of the country for a while."

Kevin's head shot up. "What?!"

"We want you to come with us." Dean said, grabbing a burger and biting into it.

"But-!"

"We wouldn't move you if we didn't know it was safe." Sam sat down on a chair so he could be more at eye level. "We will be moving directly from here to there."

"How are you going to do that?"

"Apparently with a magic shot glass." Dean pulled out a small shot glass that he had wrapped up in his pocket. "So let's get packing and make sure everything is ready before tomorrow morning. Looks like we're going back to school."

Dean smirked at Kevin's confused expression.


	2. Hogwarts

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Peeves (Poltergeist)

Madam Irma Pince (Librarian)

The Fat Friar (Hufflepuff Ghost)

Paracelsus (Wizard who discovered Parseltongue)

Garrick Ollivander (Wand Maker)

Sir Cadogan (Knight of the Round Table, his portrait is at the end of the Divinations Corridor)

* * *

Dean left his Impala parked safely in the Bunker, and after packing up the trunk and their clothes into three suitcases, they then packed up Kevin's millions of notes and his personal items. The three of them were carrying five large bags and standing in a circle, each putting a finger on the shot glass at 10:05 AM on August 5th.

"Do you really think this will work?" Kevin asked.

"We'll find out in thirty seconds." Sam said looking at his watch. "Three… Two… One"

It happened immediately: Dean felt as though a hook just beneath his navel had been suddenly jerked irresistibly forward. His feet left the ground; and he could feel Sam and Kevin on either side of him, their shoulders banging into his. They were all speeding forward in a howl of wind and swirling color; their fingers stuck to the shot glass as though it was pulling them magically onward.

And then their feet hit the ground...Hard. Their knees buckled from the unexpected impact and they all fell into a pile in the grass.

"Welcome to Hogwarts." a female voice said. Dean looked up to see a severe looking woman standing in front of large oak doors at the top of a flight of stone steps. She had dark hair that was in a tight bun, and wore a witches hat. "My name is Professor Minerva McGonagall. If you would follow me?"

She looked over the three men struggling to get up after untangling themselves and their things, and waited patiently until they had settled themselves out before leading them into the castle.

The entrance hall was large with a grand marble staircase in the center. The Professor lead them to the right and showed them the Great Hall. "This is where most of the staff and students take their meals. You can of course, eat in your quarters if you prefer."

From there she methodically gave the three men a tour of Hogwarts. The men pointed out the moving pictures and other things they found fun. It was when they were walking through the dungeons that Minerva received her first scare.

Kevin had paused to look at a picture of a witch wearing a pointed hat with a pheasant feather, whom he assumed, was making a potion; the concoction did not look like something you would want to eat. Before he could ask what she was making, something came flying at his head.

Dean and Sam turned around when they heard Kevin's surprised squeak in time to see him get hit by chalk erasers that exploded with white dust all over him, followed by a small man whizzing through the air towards the brothers. On reflex both grabbed for their bags and pulled out long iron poles which they aimed and swatted at the flying poltergeist.

Peeves hadn't been expecting any response other than screaming and didn't have time to do more than look surprised before he disintegrated into thin air. Minerva's eyebrows shot up in shock.

Kevin had breathed in some of the chalk dust and was coughing against the wall. Sam grabbed him and pulled him back so that they were all in a group again then pulled a can of salt from his luggage and made a protective circle around them. Dean on the other hand had pulled out his shotgun and was aiming it at where the poltergeist had reappeared. They worked with the efficiency of long practice.

"Ooooohhh!" Peeves taunted when he saw the gun. "Gun's don't work on ghosts. Silly. Stupid. Muggles."

"Normal ones, no. But this one does." Dean said, pulling the trigger. The rock salt round hit Peeves dead center and once again Peeves dissipated into a cloud of dust.

"STOP!" Professor McGonagall commanded. "Peeves, leave. Now!" She said to the re-assimilated ghost.

The floating man turned upside-down and blew a raspberry at the group before disappearing through the walls.

After Peeves left Sam crouched down next to a still coughing Kevin. He pulled out a flask from his shirt that had a cross on it, which he handed to him. Kevin took a deep gulp, and after a moment he was able to breath again. He looked at the flask and smiled. "Holy Water...Thanks Sam."

"Anytime Buddy." Sam said pulling Kevin back up to his feet, and patting his back.

Professor McGonagall bent down and picked up a few grains from the protective circle which she lightly touched to her tongue. "Salt. And what are those?" She asked pointing at the poles that the brothers were packing back up. "Pure Iron." Dean said. "Repels ghosts. Doesn't stop them permanently but it does slow them down for a little."

McGonagall nodded. "Did Dumbledore inform you of much about the school before today?" she asked.

"Not much." Sam said.

"Ah…. I see." Her brow furrowed slightly before she continued. "So that you are aware, Hogwarts has four main House Ghosts and a poltergeist in residence as well as a few others that haunt various rooms in the school, including our History teacher. Other than a few pranks from Peeves whom you have just met they are harmless and much admired here. I will have Madam Pince bring you some reading material that should shed more light on the subject, as well as give you some insight into what to expect here."

"Thanks." Sam said. "That should be helpful."

The rest of the tour was less eventful thankfully, although they did meet the resident Hufflepuff Ghost the Fat Friar, who welcomed them to Hogwarts before floating through the ceiling.

Minerva got her second surprise for the day when they were walking through the seventh floor's left corridor, and a door swung open as Kevin passed it. The group paused then turned around to peek into the room. Inside was a bedroom with a king-sized bed and a spacious desk. Dean entered the room and found that it had everything a person would need to live there comfortably, including a nice view. And best of all for Kevin, every warding sigil and devil's trap that they knew were painted on the walls perfectly. He even though he saw a fountain of Holy Water with a rosary in it.

Kevin dropped his bags and collapsed on the bed. "I don't care what anyone says, I'm taking this room."

Dean chuckled and patted his friend's head. "Sleep well." but Kevin didn't hear him because he had already fallen asleep.

Professor McGonagall circled the room and looked over the symbols on the walls. "I only recognize some of these."

"Oh! I can help you there." Sam said pointing to each in kind. "That's Enochian. That's a devil's trap. Ancient Latin. Ancient Egyptian. Ancient Greek. Norse. Chinese. Japanese. Pretty much any and every protection and warding spell you could think of. Except of course Angel proofing. Not really sure if the person who put these here knows about those, or thought that they were necessary. Angel's haven't really been around much in the last two-thousand years...Well until recently."

McGonagall made a mental note to ask Dumbledore where he had found these three next time she saw him. They were certainly making her head spin with more questions the longer she was around them.

"With the small one asleep I guess we should show you to your quarters as well. We will leave him here as it seems the castle made this room specifically for him, and I will inform Dumbledore of the change in sleeping quarters."

* * *

Dean and Sam were shown their rooms which were located in the tower near the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom, and as promised there were large stacks of books waiting for them.

They put their things in separate rooms and came back out to their mini common room to find a snack waiting for them. Sitting down on one of the couches, Sam tossed a book at Dean.

"Well I guess we should get started." Sam said taking a second book from one of the stacks. Dean grabbed a quarter of a sandwich and plopped down on the other couch. They read through the books making occasional comments on them.

" _Paracelsus was credited with discovering Parseltongue_." Dean read out loud."What's Parseltongue?"

"No idea….One sec." Sam stood up and after a brief search of the room brought back some parchment and quills. "Let's make a list of all the terms that we don't know and if the other person finds anything on it we can add explanations."

"Good idea." Dean said, "...but what's with the writing materials."

"Looks like these people are stuck in the twelfth century." Sam joked as he grabbed food for himself, then went back to his book.

"So I think I found out why the Ghosts haven't turned vengeful." Sam said a while later. "According to this book they believe that _only_ Wizards and Witches can become ghosts. I wonder if their magic allows them to remain themselves after death then... without going vengeful."

"Huh….Maybe."

"Listen to this one." Dean said a few hours later, sitting up. " _Troll whiskers are the facial hairs of trolls_." Sam snorted.

"Wait, wait, wait, just listen. A magical substance, they can be used as wand cores, though in modern times it is considered an inferior substance to Garrick Ollivander's three Supreme Cores... I wonder why…" Dean said sarcastically. " _The wand of Sir Cadogan was rumored to have a contained troll whisker core_... These people are insane."

"According to…" Sam looked down at the book, "Hogwarts, A History; _Wizards and Witches cannot Apparate or Disapparate to, from, or within, Hogwarts_."

"Awesome...what does that mean?"

"Heh, no idea." Sam added the words 'apparate' and 'disapparate' to the list, which was getting longer the more they read.

The brothers would take breaks when their bodies started complaining at the lack of movement. Usually they would go up to Kevin's room to check on him, and other times they just went exploring the castle. The first time they had gone back up, Kevin had been awake and eating soup from a mug while he set up his new work space.

Sam and Dean had managed to convince Kevin that he should at least know where their rooms were before he locked himself back up. So back down the stairs they had gone. Unfortunately as all who have been to Hogwarts know, the staircases moved. Randomly.

So they got lost...A lot.

Luckily the paintings on the walls were usually helpful and they never stayed lost for long. They never saw any other teachers during their exploring and Sam and Dean could only assume that they were all holed up in their own offices getting ready for the students to come back.

Other than that the three stayed in their own rooms reading over books and scrolls, referencing and cross-referencing everything. That is until September 1st.


	3. The Start of the Term Feast

**AN: I just wanted to write a quick author's note to let you know that Castiel will show up later in the story. He's currently running away from Heaven and Hell with the Angel tablet.**

 **Thanks to everyone who's read, followed, favorited, and reviewed the story ^.^**

* * *

 **New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Harry Potter (The Boy Who Lived)

The Dursleys (Harry's Aunt, Uncle and their son)

Ron Weasley (Wizard, Gryffindor)

Hermione Granger (Witch, Gryffindor)

Hagrid (Grounds Keeper and Care of Magical Creatures Professor)

Professor Grubbly-Plank (Care of Magical Creatures Substitute Professor)

Luna Lovegood (Witch, Ravenclaw)

Ginny Weasley (Witch, Gryffindor)

Neville Longbottom (Wizard, Gryffindor)

Sir Nicholas, aka Nearly Headless Nick (Gryffindor Ghost)

Lavender Brown (Witch, Gryffindor)

Parvati Patil (Witch, Gryffindor)

Rose Zeller (Witch, Hufflepuff)

Argus Filch (Hogwarts Caretaker)

Dean Thomas (Wizard, Gryffindor)

Seamus Finnigan (Wizard, Gryffindor)

Lord Voldemort (Dark Wizard)

* * *

Chapter 3:

Professor McGonagall knocked on the door to the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers' room at just before noon.

"Come in!" Sam shouted without moving from his seat on the couch, or looking up from his book.

McGonagall opened the door and her eyes widened briefly at the stacks of books that were now in various piles around the room, they had obviously gone to the library because there were more books than she had sent. That along with various pieces of paper ripped up and covered in notes. Their walls also had multiple pictures and strings, and more notes, pages, and papers.

One wall had the words 'Defense Against the Dark Arts Curse' above the collage although this one was the smallest grouping.

"I just wanted to remind you that the Start of the Term feast is tonight." She said.

"...What?" Sam asked not looking up, he finished his paragraph and grabbed a scrap of paper to use as a bookmark. Closing the book he put it down and stood up stretching. "Oh! Yeah... the students arrive today. "

"What time did you say that would be?" Dean asked his head popping out from his bedroom door.

McGonagall's eyebrows shot up when she realized from his still dripping hair and the brief flash of skin that Dean had just come out of the shower. "Er…" She dragged her eyes away from the older brother and looked back at Sam who smirked at her knowingly. After taking another moment to get her mind back on the topic she replied. "The feast starts at seven but students will be arriving at the Great Hall before then. Albus has asked that you be there at six o'clock."

Dean nodded then his head disappeared back into his room.

"Thanks." Sam said. "We'll make sure to bring Kevin down with us."

Sam followed her to the door and waved goodbye as Minerva left to make her own last minute preparations for the feast. She turned to look back at the door before shaking her head. If their behavior so far was any indication there were going to be a lot of broken hearts at Hogwarts this year, and a lot of jealousy as well.

* * *

The return to Hogwarts was nothing like Harry had expected. After the dementor attack at the Dursleys, almost getting expelled, and doing pest control at Number Twelve Grimmauld Place, he had been looking forward to the new year at Hogwarts. That meant starting off with all the things he was familiar with; riding the train with Ron and Hermione, _but they had had their Prefect duties and were gone for parts of the journey_ ; hearing Hagrid's voice calling "firs' years" when they arrived, _but he had been replaced by Professor Grubbly-Plank_ ; making the journey from Hogsmeade Station to Hogwarts in the horseless carriages, _but there had been weird scaled, skeletal horses pulling them this year, and if Luna Lovegood was to be believed they had always been there just invisible to Harry._

They got off the carriages and entered the Great Hall, Luna waved goodbye as she went to go sit at the Ravenclaw table, and Ginny was pulled away to sit with other fourth years. Harry, Ron, Hermione and Neville found themselves seated halfway down the table, between Nearly Headless Nick, the Gryffindor house ghost, and Parvati Patil and Lavender Brown. Harry looked up at the staff table trying to see if he could see Hagrid.

"He's not there."

Ron and Hermione scanned the staff table too, though there was really no need; Hagrid's size made him instantly obvious in any lineup.

"He can't have left," Ron said, sounding slightly anxious.

"Of course he hasn't," said Harry firmly.

"You don't think he's...hurt, or anything do you?" said Hermione uneasily.

"No" said Harry at once.

"But where is he then?" she asked.

There was a pause then Harry said very quietly, so that Neville, Parvati, and Lavender could not hear, "Maybe he's not back yet. You know - from his mission - the thing he was doing over the summer for Dumbledore."

"Yeah...yeah, that'll be it," said Ron, sounding reassured, but Hermione bit her lip, looking up and down the staff table as though hoping for some conclusive explanation of Hagrid's absence.

"Who are they?" she said sharply, pointing toward the middle of the staff table.

Harry's eyes followed hers. They first lit upon Professor Dumbledore, sitting in his high-backed golden chair at the center of the long staff table, wearing deep-purple robes scattered with silvery stars and a matching hat. Dumbledore's head was inclined towards the three men sitting next to him, all of which were wearing muggle clothing.

"Why aren't they in robes?" Ron asked confused. "And that one looks like he should be a seventh year student." He said pointing to the one farthest from Dumbledore. The smallest newcomer was of asian descent with short black hair, wearing an opened button up red shirt with a white shirt underneath. He was watching the incoming students with the look of someone who was very confused as to how they got there.

They were distracted from the three when Professor Grubbly-Plank came in and settled herself in Hagrid's chair. Her arrival meant that the first years were across the lake, and sure enough the Great Hall doors opened a minute later.

* * *

Dumbledore had been telling the Winchesters which table belonged to which house, pointing out students he thought they would need to know. Mainly the Prefects and Head Boy and Head Girl. Kevin was only vaguely listening. It's not like he would be teaching anything, and even now he wasn't sure why he was sitting up at the staff table. Sam and Dean had insisted that he socialize for at least the Start of the Term feast. He would have felt better if they hadn't stuck him next to Professor Snape. They had been introduced just before the students arrived, and the man kept staring at him from the corner of his eye. Kevin doubted any of the teachers knew why he was here either.

He looked up when the doors opened and a group of most likely first years entered the Great Hall. They were lead by Professor McGonagall who was carrying a stool and an old Wizard's hat. The group lined up in front of the staff table facing the rest of the students. Kevin thought some of them looked terrified. McGonagall placed the hat on the stool and stood back. Everyone started at the hat expectantly.

Kevin jumped almost a foot when the hat started singing. Sam and Dean both snickered. They had found out about the Sorting Hat in one of the many books they had been reading, and hadn't warned Kevin on purpose.

Sam looked back over at Dean and whispered in his ear, "He didn't scream, you owe me a beer."

* * *

Sam and Dean weren't the only ones who noticed Kevin jump, with how still the Hall had become the sudden movement had attracted more than one of the older students eyes, including Hermione's.

The Sorting Hat's song rang through the Great Hall, the only sound in the sudden silence; a strange greeting for the students, talking about working together and ending with a warning.

"...Oh know the peril read the signs,

The warning history shows,

For our Hogwarts is in danger

From external, deadly foes

And we must unite inside her

Or we'll crumble from within

I have told you, I have warned you….

Let the Sorting now begin."

The hat became motionless once more; applause broke out, though it was punctured with mutterings and whispers.

"Branched out a bit this year, hasn't it?" Ron said, his eyebrows raised.

"Too right it has." Harry said.

Hermione was still looking at the small newcomer at the Staff Table. "Did you notice the small one jump when the Sorting Hat started singing?" She asked. "Exactly like the muggleborn First Years."

"Yes, indeed." Nearly Headless Nick said knowledgeably, leaning across Neville, well more through Neville. "That's because he is."

"Is what?" Ron asked

But before Nick could answer McGonagall had started reading names from her list. He put his transparent finger to his lips and sat back upright to watch the Sorting. When the Sorting was finished, ending on "Zeller, Rose" who was sorted into Hufflepuff, Professor McGonagall took the hat and stool away.

Professor Dumbledore stood up and addressed the School. "To our newcomers welcome! To our old hands - welcome back! There is time for speech making but this is not it. Tuck in!"

He sat down as the feast appeared on every table, and began serving himself.

"Excellent!" Ron said, piling his plate with food. Hermione needed answers though. She turned around to look directly at Nearly Headless Nick. "What did you mean?"

"Hm?"

"When you said that he is. Is what? Muggleborn?"

"What? Oh no, no, no, no. He's a Muggle. All three of them are."

"WHAT?!" Lavender who had been listening to the conversation yelled. A few people turned to look at her funny, and with a blush she tried to ignore them. She lowered her voice. "If they _are_ Muggles why are they here? _How_ are they here?"

"Well for the 'how' they were invited, and as for the 'why' that will be explained soon enough." And even though they pestered him for the rest of the meal Nearly Headless Nick would not tell them anything else.

When all the students had finished eating and the noise level went up, Dumbledore stood up again.

"Well now that we are all digesting another magnificent feast, I beg a few moments of your attention for the usual Start of Term notices. First years ought to know that the forest in the grounds is out of bounds to students - and a few of our older students ought to know by now too." Harry, Ron and Hermione exchanged smirks. "Mr. Filch, the caretaker, has asked me, for what he tells me is the four-hundred and sixty-second time, to remind you all that magic is not permitted in corridors between classes, nor are a number of other things, all of which can be checked on the extensive list now fastened to Mr. Filch's office door.

"We have two new changes in staffing this year. We are very pleased to welcome back Professor Grubbly-Plank, who will be taking Care of Magical Creatures lessons." Harry, Ron, and Hermione exchanged slightly panicked looks. Dumbledore had not said for how long she would be taking over.

"We are also delighted to introduce Professors Sam and Dean Winchester, our new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers," There was a surprised squeak from Hermione. "and although unconventional we also have Kevin Tran staying with us this year as a Boarder. Please treat him with the same respect as the Staff.

"Quidditch tryouts will be held... " Dumbledore continued.

"Has he gone mad?" Ron asked in a whisper. "Why would he hire Muggles to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts?"

"Well he must have a reason." Hermione said but her expression showed that she couldn't think of why either.

Dumbledore's speech ended and Ron and Hermione left to fulfill their prefect duties to show the first years to the Gryffindor common room.

Harry stayed behind watching the new Professors. Harry had always considered Dumbledore to be tall but when they stood up the Winchesters had to look down when talking to him, the one with the shoulder length hair, more than the other one. Only the boarder Kevin Tran was shorter than Dumbledore.

He noticed that some of the teachers were trying to eavesdrop on their conversation, and suddenly he wondered how much anyone knew about the Winchesters or Kevin Tran.

Harry finally stood up when he noticed the whispers and covert looks _he_ was getting from the remaining students. He followed Neville back to the Gryffindor common room, where luckily Neville knew the password " _Mimbulus mimbletonia!_ "

Harry and Neville arrived in their room to find Dean Thomas and Seamus Finnigan already there. When they got into the room the other boys became quiet until finally Seamus told Harry that because of the rumors the Daily Prophet started, Seamus's mother wanted to pull Seamus out of Hogwarts.

Unfortunately Harry didn't handle the information very well and had blown up at Seamus causing a big fight and making things worse. As he lay in bed afterwards he wondered how many more people believed the Daily Prophet and thought he and Dumbledore were lying about Voldemort's return.


	4. Deadman's Blood and Salt

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Professor Binns (Ghost, History of Magic Professor)

Professor Trelawney (Witch, Divination Professor)

Fred Weasley (Wizard, Gryffindor, Founder of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes)

George Weasley (Wizard, Gryffindor, Founder of Weasley's Wizarding Wheezes)

Draco Malfoy (Wizard, Slytherin)

Lucius Malfoy (Wizard, Death Eater)

Hedwig (Owl)

Pigwidgeon (Owl)

Sirius Black (Fugitive Wizard)

* * *

Chapter 4:

The next morning Harry felt like he was back in his second year again, back when everyone thought he was Slytherin's Heir. Most of the students avoided his eye and conversations stopped when he got too close. And the more it happened the angrier he got. Ron and Hermione had noticed as well and were trying to distract him.

They sat down and began eating breakfast trying to speculate how long Hagrid would be missing when the Owls arrived delivering mail to the students. Hermione opened her copy of the Daily Prophet, and spent the rest of breakfast reading it to see if there were any more 'hints' about Harry or Dumbledore, luckily she found none. She was just putting the paper away when Professor McGonagall arrived with their schedules for the year.

"Look at today!" Ron groaned. "History of Magic, Double Potions, Divination and double Defense Against the Dark Arts. Binns, Snape, Trelawney, and the Winchesters all in one day. I wish Fred and George would hurry up and get those Skiving Snackboxes sorted…"

"Do mine ears deceive me?" Fred asked, as he and George sat down next to them. "Hogwarts Prefects surely don't wish to skive off lessons?"

"Look what we've got today," Ron said handing it to his brothers. "That's the worst Monday I've ever seen!"

Harry glanced down at his own schedule, he wasn't thrilled about the schedule but he was a little excited for the Double Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

History of Magic was just as boring as Harry remembered it being, so he was grateful when after a long lecture on Giant Wars, he was finally able to pack up and head to their next class. On the way to the dungeon the three friends speculated what their first potions class would be like, all agreeing that Snape would probably have them do a very complicated potion.

The class entered the Potions classroom quietly, and Harry sat between his friends at their usual table in the back.

Snape entered the room and after a brief look around left the door open before he went to his desk. "Settle down." He said although it wasn't necessary as his mere presence was enough to ensure the class's silence.

Snape looked up at the classroom door as the two Winchesters entered the room, closing the door behind them. The taller one waved politely before pulling the other towards two chairs that had appeared in the back of the class.

Harry shot confused looks at Ron and Hermione then at Snape who just nodded back and started his lesson.

"Before we begin today's lesson, I think it appropriate to remind you that next June you will be sitting an important examination, during which you will prove how much you have learned about the composition and use of magical potions. Moronic though some of this class undoubtedly are, I expect you to scrape by with an 'acceptable' in your O.W.L. or suffer my...displeasure."

His gaze lingered on Neville; who gulped.

"Today we will be mixing a potion that often comes up in the Ordinary Wizarding Level: the Drought of Peace, a potion to calm anxiety and soothe agitation. Be warned: if you are to heavy handed with the ingredients you will put the drinker into a heavy and sometimes irreversible sleep, so you will need to pay close attention to what you are doing.

"The ingredients " Snape flicked his wand, "Are on the board. You will find everything you need in the store cupboard. " He flicked his wand again and the said cupboard door sprang open.

"Awesome." Harry heard one of the Winchesters say. He turned to see the taller one elbowing the other.

The students all went in to gather their ingredients.

Snape waited until they had all started on their potions then went over to the two watching Professors.

* * *

Dean nodded to the Potions Master as he walked up to them.

"How are you enjoying my lesson so far?"

"Educational," Dean said with a smirk. Sam rolled his eyes at him.

"Do you mind if we look around the cupboard?" Sam asked.

"Not at all," Snape replied and followed the two men into it. They were both still wearing muggle clothing and Snape found it strangely uncomfortable to see flannel and leather jackets inside Hogwarts.

The two men walked around the room with interest. "Hey Sam," Dean said holding up a jar of pufferfish eyes. "I dare you to drink it."

"What are you five?"

Dean just chuckled and went back to looking at the ingredients.

"African Dream Root" Sam said looking at an unlabelled plant hanging from the ceiling. "Well now we know who to ask next time we need to walk in someone's dreams."

"Don't remind me." Dean said with a shudder. "That stuff is nasty." Dean turned to Snape and pointed at the small shelf that held his vials of blood.(Bat's blood, Salamander blood and Dragon's blood) "I'm surprised you don't have more of these."

Snape raised one eyebrow, "Why is that?"

"I'm use to seeing more blood in a pantry." Dean said with a smile. "Usually including: Dead Man's Blood, Lamb's Blood, Dog's Blood."

Snapes eyes got wider, before narrowing suspiciously. "And for what reason would I possibly keep Dead Man's blood in my 'pantry'."

"To slow down Vampires." Dean replied surprised. "I thought wizards knew that." he whispered to Sam.

"I...had not heard of that." Snape said.

"Well, I can see why Dumbledore asked us to teach here now." Sam said and Snape could see some of the tension disappear from the two men.

"I believe watching your class will also be...educational." Snape said with a slow smile, and the three Professors went back to the classroom.

Sam and Dean wandered the classroom looking with interest at the students making their potions, which seemed to be causing problems with the students because they started paying more attention to them then their potions. One boy with bright red hair who Dean vaguely remembered Dumbledore telling him was a Prefect named Ron, had caused his potion to spit green sparks.

"A light silver vapor should now be rising from your potion," called Snape with ten minutes left to go. Dean looked around the room and winced when he realized that only one student seemed to have gotten the potion right. Sam and Dean retreated to their chairs and observed from afar for the rest of the lesson.

When the lesson was over the three Professors went to lunch and Snape asked the two Muggle Professors more about the African Dream root and Deadman's blood.

"If you would like you can drop by our room later tonight. We usually keep a few vials of Deadman's blood on us if you would like to add some to your pantry." Sam told Snape as he passed the sheppard's pie to Dean.

"I think I would like that very much." Snape said, surprising himself.

"We'll see you then." Dean said with a wink, before devouring his lunch.

* * *

When the bell rang at the end of Divinations, Ron and Harry went back down the latter, Ron grumbling loudly.

"D'you realize how much homework we've got already? Binns set us a foot-and-a-half-long essay on giant wars, Snape wants a foot on the use of moonstones, and now we've got a month's dream diary from Trelawney! Fred and George weren't wrong about O.W.L. year, were they? Those Winchesters had better not give us any…"

When they entered the Defense Against the Dark Arts classroom they found the Winchesters standing at the teacher's desks talking with Professor Snape.

The class was quiet as it entered the room; Both Professor Winchesters were an unknown quantity and nobody knew yet how strict a disciplinarian they were likely to be.

When everyone had found a seat, including Snape who was watching as well from behind the professors desks, one of the Professors stepped forward.

"Hello. My name is Dean, that's my brother Sam." He said with a cheeky grin. "We will be teaching your Defense Against the Dark Arts class."

He paused when Hermione raised her hand. "Um.. Yes?"

"Is it true you're Muggles?" she asked.

The class broke out in excited whispers and from the shocked looks on the Slytherin faces, Nearly Headless Nick's revelation hadn't gotten passed the Gryffindor common room.

"Muggle...? Muggle?" Dean asked confused but Sam shrugged. He didn't know either.

"It means a person who is born of two non-magical parents and are incapable of doing magic themselves." Snape said

"Oh! Well then yes, yes we are." He said. He was about to continue but got interrupted again, this time by Draco Malfoy.

"How can you teach Defense Against the Dark Arts if you can't do Magic?!" he demanded indignantly.

The two Professors grinned at each other. "If that was what was required we would have died a long time ago." He paused for a second looking like he was going to continue that statement but decided against it.

"Then what qualifications do you have to be teaching this class?" Pansy Parkinson asked haughtily.

"Because we're Hunters." Dean said.

Snape flinched and his face turned white.

"What do you hunt? Deer?" Seamus Finnigan asked, confused.

"We usually hunt more dangerous game." Dean said. "Ghost being the most common. But we've run across a few werewolves, vampires, and demons in our time." Dean leaned closer and said in a fake whisper, "And every once in awhile, we hunt Witches."

The class looked at the two men in horror and Harry who had noticed Snape's reaction now knew why he had flinched.

Sam rolled his eyes. He placed his hand on Dean's shoulder and took over the lesson. "Did you have to?" He asked as Dean went to sit down.

Dean just shrugged.

"Dumbledore asked us to teach you our way of fighting, because it seems to be very different from what you're use to." Sam said but before he could get much further he was also interrupted.

"Demon's aren't real!" Draco said.

"Oh they're real all right, trust me."

"But _that_ is for another lesson." Sam said looking pointedly at his brother. "Today we will be starting with the basics."

"When dealing with most spectral beings your best protection will be salt." Sam turned around and wrote salt on the board. "Luckily salt is usually easy to get." then he went over to his desk and pulled out a large container.

"I managed to get one of the House Ghosts to help us with this demonstration." Sam nodded at Professor Snape who stood up and opened the classroom door. The Bloody Baron entered and floated to the front of the classroom.

"Okay, there are a few ways to use salt to repel ghosts.

"The first is the salt circle. We use this as a base when we know a ghost is coming but don't know where they will attack." He then proceeded to pour a surprisingly good circle of salt on the floor around himself, then nodded to the Bloody Baron. The Baron advanced but when he reached the circle it looked as if he hit a brick wall.

"You can also use it to trap ghosts." he said, "This doesn't solve most problems when it comes to ghosts but it will hold them for a little while." He then went to making the circle around the Bloody Baron.

"Sorry." he told the ghost. The class watched as the Bloody Baron attempted to leave the circle, even trying to go through the ceiling, but he was trapped.

"An open circle doesn't work as you can see when I break the salt-line." Sam said, as he did so, and the Baron left the circle.

"Lastly you can protect an enclosed room by putting a salt line at all the doors and windows. But like the protective circle, if the salt line is broken they will be able to enter the room.

"These protective barriers are most useful for ghosts and demons. If you're facing a monster like a werewolf or a skinwalker they will be useless."

Sam stepped back to clean up the salt as Dean took over the lesson.

"Salt can also be used as a weapon." He said, as he bent over and grabbed a handful of salt from one of the protective circles before Sam could finish cleaning them.

"Ready?" He asked the Bloody Baron who nodded his consent.

Then to the shock of the whole class, Dean threw the salt at the Bloody Baron. Harry was confused until instead of passing through the Bloody Baron he shattered into dust.

The whole room gasped.

Dean dusted off his hands, and continued as if nothing weird had happened. "Throwing salt is useful but my favorite way to dispel ghosts is to shoot them."

He reached over his desk and pulled out his double barrel shotgun.

The room gasped again as the Bloody Baron flickered back into existence.

Dean broke open the shotgun and expelled two shotgun shells. "Normal rounds don't work on ghosts of course."

"These" he said holding them up, "are filled with rock salt.

"They'll hurt like hell if you get hit but they'll dispel a ghost for a little while."

Dean turned back towards the Bloody Baron, after reloading the gun. He made sure he was between the Baron and the students then aimed. After another nod of consent from the Baron, he fired the shotgun. Once again the Bloody Baron shattered into dust.

Dean emptied the shotgun and placed it back behind his desk.

"Why would we need to fight ghosts?" Draco asked confused.

The two Professors smirked at each other. "That," The taller one said, "Is your extra credit tonight. Ten house points will be awarded to the students who find the answer. And _your_ homework will be to write half a foot essays on the properties and uses of Salt in defense. Which you can start on for the rest of this period."

* * *

After their Defense Against the Dark Arts class Harry stumbled across Professor Snape talking to Draco in an unused classroom. (Ron and Hermione had gone to a prefect meeting) He hid behind a tapestry of an empty grove, trying to listen in.

"...be careful this year." Snape said with a strange inflection in his voice. "If they truly are Hunters you must inform your father."

"But what are Hunters?" Draco asked confused.

"Your father will know." Professor Snape said cryptically before he swept out of the room.

The conversation played over and over in Harry's head until dinner where the Trio had met up again.

* * *

The Great Hall was filled with rumors about the Winchesters. Third, Fourth and Seventh years wouldn't have them until later this week, but they listened to the stories and added to them where they could.

"...and then he pulled out the gun." Dean Thomas told a large audience at the Gryffindor table, including some who were in the class. "I almost had a heart attack!"

Susan Bones was giggling in a group of Hufflepuffs. "...they're both so tall."

"...can't believe they hired Muggles to teach Defense Against the Dark Arts. When my Mother hears about this…" Blaise Zabini was saying to his own audience at the Slytherin table. Draco Malfoy was ignoring them, and seemed to be lost in thought.

The Ravenclaws were huddled together as they compared notes. "... planning on looking through books in the Library's Ghost section."

When dinner ended Harry pulled Ron and Hermione aside and told them about the conversation that he had overheard.

"But what are Hunters?" Hermione asked.

"I don't know but Snape said Lucius Malfoy would." Harry said.

"We could try asking my Dad." Ron said "He might know."

"Good idea. I'll owl Sirius as well. Can't help finding out more about them." They headed to the Owlry and after writing a note to Sirius and Mr. Weasley, they woke up Hedwig and Pigwidgeon who blinked at them sleepily while they tied the letters to their legs, then flew out the open window into the evening light.


	5. Hunters

New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)

Castiel (Angel)

Angelina Johnson (Witch, Gryffindor, Quidditch Captain)

Araminta Meliflua Black (Dark Witch, Sirius Black's Aunt)

Walburga Black (Dark Witch, Sirius Black's Mother)

* * *

Chapter 5:

Severus Snape made his way towards the Winchester's room with trepidation. The revelation that they were Hunters had shaken him. Hunters were Dark Wizard's boogiemen, in the same way that Dark Wizards where the Wizarding world's.

He forcefully walked up the stairs leading to their room with his mask firmly in place. He had faced the Dark Lord, he could face these Muggles.

At the top of the stairs he knocked on the door. Inside he heard a clank, some shuffling of what sounded like paper and Dean telling Sam in a muffled voice to move his legs out of the way. A second later Dean opened the door and waved Severus inside.

"Beer?" Dean asked as he walked back into the shared mini-common room.

"Yes, thank you." Severus replied looking around. Sam was laying down on the couch reading a book, from where he absentmindedly waved at the potions professor. Severus was surprised by the amount of books and obvious research the two were doing. It was almost as if they were trying to cram seven years of Hogwarts schooling into the three days they had been there. And the room didn't just contain books, on the coffee table in the middle of the room was an impressive assortment of weapons, from knives and needles to wooden stakes and guns. One of the guns had been taken apart and was being carefully cleaned. Severus recognized it from their lesson earlier that day.

"Here." Dean said, handing an opened bottle of beer out to Severus. He nodded in thanks as he took it, then sat on the couch opposite Sam.

Dean nudged Sam who took his beer from his brother without looking. Dean sat on the chair he had pulled up to the coffee table and set his own half empty bottle on the floor by his feet before going back to cleaning his shotgun.

Sam finally finished his book, it looked like he had been on the last page when the Potion Master had arrived. Sitting up he put it into one of the larger stacks.

"Sorry" Sam said pulling his hair back away from his face.

Severus nodded at the apology while trying to read the title of one of the books near him, which looked like "Magical Drafts and Potions".

"It looks like you've taken an interest in our world?" he said. "I must say I didn't expect to see you doing research."

Sam and Dean smiled at each other.

"Did you still want that vial of Dead Man's blood?" Sam asked before taking a swig of his beer and standing up.

"Yes, if the offer is still valid."

"Of course." Sam turned to Dean who was happily cleaning his gun. "Do any of those needles still have some?"

"No. I only grabbed the empty ones." Dean replied. Sam waved in his general direction then went into one of the bedrooms. A few seconds later he yelled through the door, "Where did you put it?"

"Next to the Holy Water, under the bed."

"Ah found it." Sam came back out holding a rolled up leather container. "Why did you put it there anyway?"

Dean just shrugged.

Sam sat back down on the couch and unrolled the container. Inside were carefully placed needles filled with red liquid, and on the side pouches were more vials filled with the same liquid. Sam pulled one out and after putting it up to the light to make sure it was full, handed it to the Potion Master.

"Thank you." Severus said after inspecting the vial, and putting it carefully up his sleeve. "I don't see the young man that you arrived with." The castle had only made two rooms for the Professors, not the three that Snape had been expecting.

"He's staying up on the seventh floor, in the room with all those warding sigils." Dean said as he finished cleaning the gun and started putting it back together.

"Which room?" Snape asked not remembering any rooms with Sigils in Hogwarts.

"It's across that weird tapestry of some dude trying to teach trolls ballet."

"I don't remember that room." Severus said confused.

Dean laughed, "Yeah. Minerva seemed confused by it as well. But Kevin loves the room."

"I'm just glad he's off his hotdog and pain killer diet." Sam said, drinking more of his beer.

The two gave each other knowing looks then turned back to Severus. "We were hoping you would take the Dead Man's blood as a bribe." Sam continued. "Dumbledore didn't really give us any course work to have the students do. Do you know what they'll get tested on at the end of the year that we should teach or refresh them on?"

Severus took a drink of his own beer before he answered. "With First through Fourth years you can teach the students what you want about defense and defensive magic. But in their Fifth year the students take their first O.W.L's and the seventh years take their N.E.W.T's. The students are usually tested on signs to identify monsters, after which students must complete a practical exam of counter-jinxes, defensive spells, Riddikulus, and the Patronus Charm, although most Wizards can't actually produce a Patronus."

"What are 'Riddikulus' and 'Patronus'?" Sam asked. Dean listened in as he pulled out another gun and started disassembling it for cleaning.

"'Riddikulus' is a spell used to fight Boggarts." Severus said.

"Wait I know that name." Dean said. "I think it's on our list."

Sam reached over to grab a long roll of parchment that had notes all over it. He quickly scanned the paper until he reached what he was looking for. "Boggarts - A boggart is an amortal shape-shifting non-being that takes on the form of the viewer's worst fear."

Severus's eyebrows shot up. Looked like he wasn't wrong about the brothers trying to cram seven years into three days.

"Okay then what is the 'Patronus' for?"

"It is the primary protection against Dementors and Lethifolds, to which there is no other protection." Severus said.

"And what are those?" Dean asked.

"They're magical creatures that live in different area's but both devour souls."

The Brothers gave each other a strange look. Sam jerked his head to the side, then rolled his eyes, agreeing but not happy about whatever silent conversation had passed between them..

"And...ah...What happens to the people who's souls are sucked out." Dean asked, a strange forced smile flitting across his lips. "Do you have special prisons, or communities where you watch them? Having soulless bastards walking around probably causes a lot of problems."

Severus stared at the two Hunters. "Walking around?...How could a soulless person walk around? They become an empty shell and the body usually dies within a few weeks when they receive a Dementor's Kiss; and Lethifolds devour the body as well as the soul"

Dean put down the gun he was cleaning, and stared hard at the Professor.

"The Dementors have to be pulling out more than just the soul." Sam said standing up and rummaging through some of the books. "Maybe it's like ghosts? The Wizarding world didn't like the idea that muggles ghosts could become vengeful and they removed or excluded the knowledge from their books?"

"Could be, or it's possible they didn't notice the soulless people walking around and never made the connection." Dean rubbed a hand over his face, and suddenly Severus could see the exhaustion Dean was feeling.

Sam leaned over one of the stacks trying to pull out one of the older books behind it. He came back to the couch opening it on the coffee table carefully so as not to move any of the weapons. Sam coughed when a cloud of dust flew up from the book. He pulled his hand away from his mouth and grimaced. Snape thought he saw a small drop of blood at the corner of his mouth before Sam wiped it away and quickly rubbed his hand on his pants.

"Are you okay?" Dean asked concern flooding his voice.

"Fine. I'm fine." Sam said distractedly, "Nothing we can do about it anyway." He flipped through the book in front of him until he found the page on Dementors. There was an illustration on the page that floated up and down slowly of what looked to be a black cloaked skeleton.

Sam skimmed the page but didn't find any of the information he wanted.

"And why are you so sure that the Dementors don't just take the soul?" Severus finally convinced himself to ask.

The answer was meet with an uncomfortably long pause. Sam shifted, his eyes flickering up at Snape.

"I...um...lost my soul a few years back." He said, giving his own forced smile. "It took over a year to get it back in my body. But I wasn't a vegetable during that time. I just...didn't care...about anything. No guilt, no sleep, and I didn't die after a few weeks."

The room was silent for a long time. Sam shrugged then pulled the book back towards him. "But that means that these creatures are doing more than just taking souls. I just want to know what."

Dean stood up and leaned over Sam's shoulder to read the book. "It says they feed on fear and despair. Maybe they do it to cause more fear when they're around?"

"Could be." Sam said. "I wonder if the Men of Letters have anything on them...Or maybe Cas?" He looked up at Dean. "Heard anything from him?"

Dean shook his head. "No. He's probably still running from the Heavenly Host." Dean turned to Severus. "What do you think? You've had more experience around these Dementors then we do."

The three spent the rest of the night discussing various theories on why the Dementor's Kiss left an empty shell instead of a soulless human.

* * *

Severus found himself stumbling back to his own office at an ungodly hour of the morning, already regretting his decision. Luckily his first Potions class wasn't until third period on Tuesdays and he could try to get some sleep.

The two brothers were very interesting people, and unusually close. But not in the same way that the Weasley's were, or even the Weasley twins. He couldn't place it exactly but he did recognize the feel of comrades-in-arms.

He entered his office and grabbed a few ingredients for a hangover cure. He quickly mixed himself up a batch, making extra in case the Winchesters needed it, then fell into bed, asleep as soon as he hit the pillow.

The next morning much to Snape's annoyance the Winchesters had woken up bright and early looking for all the world that they had gotten eight hours of sleep and neither showed any indication that they were suffering from a hangover.

* * *

The rain didn't stop at all during the first week of school, and every class added mountains of homework to their workload. Hermione spent most of her time combing the library when she wasn't doing her prefect duties or making hats for unsuspecting house-elves, and Ron keep disappearing in the evenings for a few hours with vague reasons when anyone asked.

They were eating breakfast when Pigwidgeon arrived back on Wednesday morning with the reply from Arthur Weasley. Unfortunately he hadn't heard anything about 'Hunters' before, so the Trio were back to square one. They spent the rest of their breakfast discussing theories about the Winchesters and what they had meant exactly by 'Hunters'.

As they were gathering their things, Angelina Johnson walked over to Harry and pulled him aside. "I've booked the Quidditch Pitch on friday for Keeper tryouts. Make sure that you're ready I want everyone on the team there so we can find the best fit." Then she disappeared to track down the rest of the team.

It wasn't until late thursday night that they heard back from Sirius. Harry, Ron and Hermione were sitting in their favorite spot in the Gryffindor Common room working on their Defense Against the Dark Arts homework. There had been a surprising amount of books about the uses of salt in the library. Hermione had come back with a few extra books, and a frustrated look on her face.

"I can't find anything!" She said in exasperation closing the book she had been reading.

Ron looked up from his own homework grateful for the distraction. "About Salt?"

"What?" Hermione asked confused for a second. "Oh I finished that Tuesday. I mean about the extra credit!

"Apparently no one has and Madam Pince has started glaring at anyone asking her about ghosts. There is nothing. I've looked through every book in the ghost section and I feel like more than half the library. I can't remember any mentions of why you would need to fight ghosts in any of the books I've read before either." She looked at the books in front of her as if they had betrayed her.

"I don't know why you're still looking. I gave up on Tuesday." Ron said with a shrug, "I can't believe there are so many uses for salt...I just thought it was used for, you know, food."

Hermione was about to retort when a tap on the window interrupted her. Harry looked up to see Hedwig knocking on the window, and he quickly let her in from the rain. Harry untied the letter from Hedwig's leg then set her down near the fire to dry off. "Thanks Hedwig" he said softly, giving her some of his tea.

He opened the letter from Sirius with Hermione and Ron reading over it over his shoulder.

Dear Harry,

Dumbledore hired Hunters? I don't know if that is the stupidest or

most brilliant thing he has ever done.

Whichever it is, most Dark Wizards fear Hunters, and for good

reason.

My Aunt Araminta Meliflua Black was killed by a Hunter just after

I was born. Not that it was any real loss mind you. The Black

family consisted mostly of Dark Wizards, and my mother would

use the threat of Hunters whenever someone wouldn't cover

their tracks.

I thought they had died off during the last war until I got your

letter, because Voldemort had the ones in Britain killed as well

as any Men of Letters.

I will say one thing for certain, Hogwarts is safer now with them

there.

Take care of yourself Harry.

Padfoot

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other stunned.

"So they really do kill witches." Ron said.

"It can't be. Dumbledore wouldn't hire people who were a danger to the students." Harry said his eyes still on the letter.

"And Ron, your dad would have known what Hunters were." Hermione said defensively.

"Not to say anything bad about Dumbledore but he doesn't exactly have a clean record with hiring Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers." Ron said as he started thinking back on all their previous professors. "I think everyone of them tried to kill us so far, and that includes Professor Lupin and Lockhart."

"Maybe Ron's dad didn't know about Hunters because they only hunt Dark Wizards and Witches?" Harry said holding out the letter. "Here read Sirius's letter again and tell me if that's what it sounds like to you."

Hermione and Ron took the letter from Harry.

"It could be." Hermione said.

"If Voldemort killed the Hunters in Britain does that mean he considered them a threat?" Harry asked, but they didn't have an answer.

Harry lay in bed that night listening to Ron tossing and turning, thinking about what he had learned today about the Winchesters. Even with people believing he was making everything up, maybe, just maybe this year wouldn't so bad.

Harry fell asleep and dreamt of salt lines, hunters, and strange corridors, none of which he remembered when he woke up.


	6. Ghosts

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Katie Bell (Witch, Gryffindor, Quidditch Chaser)

John Winchester (Hunter)

* * *

Chapter 6:

Friday dawned sullen and sodden as the rest of the week.

Walking out of his bedroom, Sam ran his hands through his hair trying to make it manageable. Dean was already up and reading more books, an empty cup of coffee lay next to him. Ever since the first Trial to close Hell, Dean had started waking up first.

"Hey Sleeping Beauty. There's some coffee over there if you want some." Dean said when Sam walked into the room.

Sam grunted in thanks and poured himself a cup.

"It's almost the weekend" Dean said looking at Sam with a mischievous grin. "What do you think about exploring the town next door? Maybe pick up some wizards robes? Huh? Sound fun?"

Sam snorted a silly grin flickering across his face. "Sure Dean. Sounds fun."

"It's a date then." Dean said winking at Sam playfully.

Sam smiled in exasperation as he sat down carefully with his coffee taking a sip as he reached for another book. "Any luck on figuring out how to remove the curse?" He asked.

"Other than killing the wizard who placed the curse? No, no luck yet. The fact that it's a curse on the position itself, and not a person or object, is going to make removing it harder."

"Maybe there's something in these books that might help; but considering it's been fifty years and they haven't figured out how themselves I don't know how much help they're going to be." Sam said. "I'm kind of wishing we had access to the bunker. The Men of Letters might have something on this."

"Well, we'll figure something out." Dean said, "We always do." The morning passed in peace until with a stretch Dean stood up. "Come along Professor Winchester. Time to get to work."

Sam rolled his eyes but followed Dean to their class.

* * *

Harry walked into their Defense Against the Dark Arts class pulling a harassed looking Hermione along who had her nose in a book still looking for the answer to their extra credit. Ron followed behind an amused look on his face.

"You should have quit on Tuesday." He said as they sat down.

When everyone settled down Sam started the lesson.

"Welcome back," he said with an amused smile. "Before we start the class was anyone able to figure out the extra credit?"

Everyone in the class looked at Hermione expectantly but from her disappointed look, she hadn't been able to find anything on why they would need to defend themselves against ghosts.

"According to your lore, a ghost is the disembodied spirit of a once living witch or wizard, and only a magical being can become a ghost."

Some of the students nodded.

"This is not completely true. All humans can become ghosts, but unlike witches and wizards a regular ghost can't hold onto the person they were when they were living. Over time they become vengeful. There are a few exceptions of course, mainly Death Omens, but we'll go into that later."

Dean stepped forward drawing the class's attention. "We're not sure when but it looks like your society removed all knowledge of non-magical ghosts from their records. Can't tell if it's because you actually interact with your ghosts on a daily basis and they wanted to keep them safe or if it was some segregation bullshit. Either way it's gone."

Harry raised his hand.

"Um... your name was…?" Dean looked at him expectantly.

"Harry. Harry Potter." Harry waited for the flicker of the Professor's eyes to his scar but they didn't move and there was no hint of recognition either.

"Okay Harry. You had a question?"

Harry wasn't sure if he was relieved or shocked that the Professors hadn't recognized his name.

"Er...Then how do you know that these other ghosts exist?"

"We've been ganking ghosts our whole lives." Dean said with an easy smile. "Tracking them down and sending their asses back where they belong."

"What happens to the ghosts after you 'gank' them." Hermione asked.

"You get to answer this one." Dean said slapping Sam on the back as he stepped back. "You're much better at the whole 'verbal message' thing."

Sam glared at Dean for a second but didn't fight him. "I once told a ghost that we hope it's to somewhere better but we don't know. That was a long time ago and a lot has happened in our lives since. Now we know more than we should. We can tell you that depending on who they were in life they will most likely go to Heaven or Hell, there are exceptions of course. But that lesson is for another day."

"Today we're going to go over a few ghosts we've meet in our travels. Most monsters work in patterns, and ghosts are no exception.

Spirits come in all kinds and they can be provoked to stay in the world of the living by any kind of emotion: love, hate, sadness or confusion. Almost always a spirit is tied to a material object, and more often than not it's their own remains. But if there's one thing we've learned it's that anything can be haunted.

Some ghosts only appear on specific days. Some only go after a specific type of person. Some come back for revenge, and some come to warn people. The last are usually Death Omens, and once the person or thing they are warning against is stopped and they are put to rest, they will move on.

For most other ghosts the best way to fight them is to salt and burn their corpse, or whatever they are haunting, which means that you will probably have to dig up their corpse."

"No one would dig up a corpse! That would take hours!" Dean Thomas exclaimed loudly. "Especially if you're not using magic!"

"True." Sam said with a fond grin. "It helps if you get a good pattern down and trade off when you start getting tired, or when you're desperate and are trying to fight off a ghost while you're digging. Location and weather can help too, and the newer the grave the easier to dig it up."

"Hey Sammy, remember your first grave?" Dean asked.

Sam grinned, "Yeah. Dad criticized our digging the whole time while he waited for the ghost to show."

"And the rain kept pouring and causing mudslides into the grave."

"Dad kept us safe though." Sam said with a bittersweet smile. "Made sure the ghost couldn't get to us."

"I remember you catching a cold from that." Dean told Sam teasingly. "The first of many."

"Graves or Colds?"

"Both." Dean said cheekily.

"How many graves have you dug up?" Ron asked in awe.

"Too many." Dean said taking back over the lesson. "We're going to go over some re-occurring ghost variations that we've seen over the years including: Water Ghosts, Bloody Mary and Women-in-White."

They spent the rest of the lesson going over different patterns that ghosts fell into. Harry left the class with his head reeling. His world had just gotten bigger again.

* * *

Quidditch tryouts lasted well into the night and even though Ron wasn't the best Keeper he was the best choice for their team.

When they finally returned to the Gryffindor Common Room. the Weasley twins snuck out and came back with Butterbeer to celebrate. Harry watched in amusement as Ron was dragged around the room by Fred and George, as they reintroducing him to everyone. Not long into the night Hermione fell asleep in an armchair by the fire with her butterbeer tipping precariously from her hand.

Harry was slowly melting into the armchair a comfortable haze falling over him as he watched the festivities. As Harry took a sip of Butterbeer, a sudden pain seared across the scar of his forehead and at the same time he had a most peculiar sensation somewhere around his midriff. Harry fumbled his bottle, barely managing not to spill it. His heart was thumping very hard and fast. _Stay calm,_ he told himself _. Stay calm, it doesn't necessarily mean what you think it means…._

Harry looked towards Ron to tell him, but he was being pulled away by Katie Bell and Harry could hear her vaguely over the sound of the common room saying "Come here, Ron, and see if Oliver's old robes fit you. We can take off his name and put yours on instead…"

Hermione stirred in her armchair and looked over at him blearily. "I'm just so - so - so tired," She yawned. "I was up till one o'clock making more hats. They're disappearing like mad!" Harry looked around the room where he could suddenly see the woolly hats hiding where unsuspecting house-elves might pick them up.

"Great," Harry said distractedly; "Listen, Hermione…" but he stopped. He could tell Hermione and Ron but they would just worry more, and he had been having brief pains all summer this one was just a little worse. Nothing he needed to bring up especially today when Ron was celebrating becoming a Keeper. "...I think I'm feeling tired. I'm going to go to bed. Tell Ron for me?"

"Oh no. If you get to go to bed that means I can go to without being rude." Hermione said, grateful for an excuse to go to sleep.

Harry left Hermione to pick up her things. He would tell them if he needed to...later.


	7. Hogsmeade

**Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Antonin Dolohov (Dark Wizard)

Alistair (Demon, Chief Torturer for Hell)

Benny (Vampire)

* * *

Leaning against the window, Dean waited for Kevin to get ready for the shopping trip. He hadn't left his room all week and although Dean wasn't complaining about him working on the Demon tablet, the kid needed to get out sometimes...and take a shower. He could definitely use a shower.

While their prophet made himself easier on the nose, Sam looked through his notes. It was mostly nonsense but he still wanted to see if he could find a hint of what he would be doing for the next Trial.

Dean was watching the wind play with the trees of the Forbidden Forest, when he spotted a great, reptilian winged horse with leathery wings spread wide like a pterodactyl's, rising from the treetops. "Awesome! Sam come look!" Dean said pointing to the creature. Sam arrived just in time to see it drop back down below the canopy.

"What was that?" Sam asked.

"No idea. Maybe a Dragon-Pegasus or a Dragasus." Dean wiggled his eyebrows at Sam a silly grin on his face.

"Sure Dean." Sam laughed. "But seriously we should go talk to that Care of Magical Creatures Professor sometime soon. The forest looks like it's the home of lots of things we haven't seen before. It should be interesting."

Dean nodded, looking out of the window to see if it would come back.

"What are you guys looking at?" Kevin asked as he walked into the room.

"A Dragasus." Dean said. "Welcome to Jurassic Park"

"What?" Kevin asked confused.

"Nevermind." Dean said, as the two brothers looked Kevin over. He definitely looked better than he had at the Start of the Term feast. He was dressed in a blue hoodie, tan T-shirt and jeans. The bags under his eyes had disappeared, and from the looks of it, his eating habits had improved. He was starting to lose his starved look, and a lot of the tension that he had been holding onto in the safe-boat was also missing.

"Ready for our weekend out?" Dean asked.

"Are you sure I should be coming? I feel like I'm getting closer to deciphering the next Trial. I really don't think I should be leaving right now."

"The Demon Tablet will still be here when you get back." Sam said.

"It will be fun. You love learning new things." Dean pushed Kevin out of the room and closed the door behind him.

"I love learning _normal_ things." Kevin replied. "I thought things were weird when I became a Prophet. This school is on a whole new level of weird."

"True, but good weird." Dean said, "I think."

Sam shot Dean an annoyed look.

"What? I haven't been through their dirty laundry, and I'm still not convinced we're not in a school full of demon worshipers."

"I'm pretty sure if they worshiped demons, Dean, that Crowley would have been here the first hour we arrived."

Dean just shrugged. "But for now we're on vacation. So whatever passes for food in the village, some drinks and good company." He nudged Kevin suggestively.

"Dean. You are not allowed to flirt with the students."

"I'll only flirt with the ones over eighteen." He replied, "Guess how many there are?"

"I'm serious Dean, no flirting with the students, we don't need annoyed magical teenagers throwing us around the castle because you did something you shouldn't have."

"I agree with Sam." Kevin said as they went down the long flights of stairs. "We don't need more trouble than we already have."

"Fine, but you didn't say anything about the locals." Dean replied.

They left the castle with the instructions that Minerva had given them, following the path to the two tall stone pillars topped with winged boars at the edge of the school grounds, they turned left onto the road to the village.

* * *

Antonin Dolohov followed behind the three muggles as they explored Hogsmeade Village. Wandering through the stores one after the other, acting like First Years as they excitedly dragged each other around to see whatever caught their interest.

The Dark Lord had sent Antonin with strict orders to observer the new Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers and their pet, but not to interfere. Which was one of the reasons he had specifically ordered Antonin and not another Death Eater. The Wizarding World was ignoring the fact that the Dark Lord had been reincarnated and he very much wanted it to remain that way. Even if it meant not killing these Hunters while their guard was down.

The three left the Hogsmeade Post Office and joined the traffic on the main Hogsmeade road. Antonin followed behind, noticing in amusement the crowd parting around him thanks to the Notice-Me-Not spell he had created years ago. It wasn't an invisibility spell, but in some ways it was better. People still knew you were there, as shown by the crowd that moved out of the way as he walked down the road, but they forgot you almost as soon as they saw you.

Stopping in front of Gladrags Wizardwear, the one named Dean asked "Hey Sam! Wanna cosplay?"

"Seriously?" Kevin asked as Dean pushed him in first.

"Come on it will be fun." Dean replied.

Sam just laughed as he followed the other two into the shop.

Antonin followed them in, and took a seat near the mirror as he watched them each get measured by the wizard in the shop.

Bored, he looked over at his own reflection. The long, pale face of his forty-year old self stared back at him. A little spell and fifty human sacrifices really wasn't too high a price for immortality. One of the perks of being one of the Dark Lord's inner circle. Finding fifty sacrifices was child's play during the war. He ran his finger over his cheekbones admiring the outcome for a moment before turning back to the task at hand.

Fun as following these Muggles may be, it was time to get to work. He waited until the two Professors went into the dressing rooms to try on some dress robes, then focusing on their pet through the mirror he whispered "Legilimens."

He could have done the spell wordlessly, of course, but mind magics really weren't his forte. Much safer to get as much power behind the spell as possible.

The muggle, Kevin's, surface thoughts were mostly filled with a vague excitement from being outdoors; he didn't seem to have been out much lately, and trying to figure out which robe wouldn't make him look as ridiculous as he felt.

Antonin push further into his mind while trying to make the flow of thought feel natural. Most Legilimencers were discovered because of their forceful attempts to view what they needed instead of carefully leading their prey to the thought; a trick he had learned from Severus Snape during the first war. But to his disappointment and confusion the boy seemed to be thinking in ruins. Very old ruins. He tried to explore further into his thoughts but nothing he found made any sense...The most vivid memory was of a man with a well trimmed beard and a Scottish accent, wearing a completely black suit... He gave up when the muggle left to try on a black and red robe, not far off from the Gryffindor colors, he noted in amusement. Animals really.

After that he was forced to watch a ridiculous montage as the three of them wandered into and out of the dressing rooms, making even more ludicrous jokes about each other.

He was far enough away that luckily he didn't hear most of it but what he did catch made very little sense to him.

"You look like Gandalf the Gray. You just need a beard." Dean told his brother, when he emerged in full robes and a wizard hat. Sam laughed and went back into the dressing room.

A few minutes later Dean flung the doors open to reveal what looked to be a woman's green kimono. "I think that would look better in pink." Kevin said with a straight face.

"Shut up! How are you suppose to tell which are for women and which aren't? They all look the same!"

Antonin rolled his eyes. _Playing at being people_ , he thought with a sneer.

"...Sam are you going for the Dalaran look? Purple really suits you." Kevin asked.

"The what?" Sam asked as he retreated back to the dressing room.

"From Warcraft." Dean yelled over the door. "And I thought you were a nerd. And you," Dean said pointing at Kevin, "need to try on more outfits. You look like that Harry Potter kid in the one you picked out. I'm already going to have problems with having another Dean around."

"No nicknames Dee." Sam said from the dressing room.

Dean winked at Kevin "I was thinking 'little D'"

Sam came out of the dressing room in a midnight blue robe. "We're not making some poor kid's name into a dick joke. Just call him by his last name Thomas. That's how most of the students go around calling each other anyway."

Antonin rolled his eyes in exasperation as he waited for another opportunity, but none were forthcoming. He resigned himself to having to follow these oafs for longer.

They left the store with four full bags, including socks that screamed at you if they got too smelly. "These are so you don't forget to take a shower every once in awhile." Sam had said as he put the pair in Kevin's bag.

The longer the day went though, the less patient Antonin became. The three stuck to each other like glue as they explored the small village.

Well, he had made plans in case this scenario came up, but he wasn't happy with having to use it. He made his way in front of the group so they would walk towards him naturally, then pulling out his wand he murmured "Legilimens!"; once again grateful to his Notice-Me-Not spell that allowed him to do this in broad daylight on a crowded street.

He aimed the spell at the older of the two Winchesters.

Once again he found himself floating on surface thoughts. Mostly of Dean enjoying their vacation as he absorbed his new surroundings. _I need to know more._ Antonin thought as he pushed a little deeper.

 _Pain! Sudden intense pain and heat, unlike anything any mortal could live through. Far worse than than anything he'd ever felt under the Crucio curse. Antonin tried to see through his streaming eyes but the world he saw was impossible... Physics didn't exist here... The rack that he was on was held up in nothing... Screams filled his mind, some of them his own...and a lisping voice could be heard._

" _You know Dean, you can end this... We don't have to keep having these...heart to hearts." The thing in front of him said as it caressed his beating heart, then brought it up to it's lips and licked it. "Just pick up the knife little grasshopper."_

 _With a strength and defiance that he couldn't understand he watched himself spit blood at the thing. "Go fuck yourself, Alastair."_

" _Dean, Dean Dean. That really is no way to speak to your Torturer . Well, we'll just have to continue this tomorrow...and the day after...and the day after that...until...Forever...You know there's no escape...We'll have so much fun." Then somehow through all the pain he could still feel it when the thing called Alastair began to squeeze his heart..._

In an act of self-preservation, he desperately and carelessly pulled himself out of the Winchester's mind before his vision blacked out, his body collapsing on the side of the road. Only his Notice-Me-Not spell preventing anyone from stepping on his unconscious form.

00

* * *

"Son of a Bitch!" Dean exclaimed, as his head exploded into the worst migraine he had ever had.

"Are you okay?" Sam asked as he pulled his brother off the path, concern flickering across his face. He looked over at Kevin who was just as confused.

Dean had his hand covering his eyes from the suddenly to bright evening. "Yeah, but I think we're going to have to cut our date short. Sorry Sammy."

"I don't think it's a problem, Dean." Kevin said, as he took the bags out of Dean's hand. "At this rate we would have spent all our money anyway."

Sam laughed as he pulled Dean's arm around his shoulders and lead his brother back to Hogwarts. "I think Kevin's right." Sam said. "I even saw you buy blood-flavored lollipops at that candy store."

"S'not for me." Dean said trying to push the pain back, "I got'em for Benny."

Dean could feel Sam stiffen under his arm, before his brother forced himself to relax. "Have you been keeping in contact much?"

"Not for months." He replied. This migraine was really making this conversation more difficult than it should be.

Benny was the first Vampire, or monster for that matter, that he had liked. And after fighting with him for almost a year in Purgatory, Dean considered him a brother. But the Mortal world and Purgatory were two very different places. Vampires ate humans here. So they made a deal: if one of them said it was the end of the line, then they would break off any contact, or if Benny went back to feeding on living humans, then Dean wouldn't stop another Hunter from killing him.

Dean had broken off contact at a time that Benny had really needed help. Something that still hurt him to think about too much. So when he had seen the blood-flavored lollipops at Honeydukes he couldn't help himself and had bought some to sent to him later. From what the wizard at the Post Office had said Owls could find almost anyone.

As they passed through the stone pillars topped with winged boars, Dean stopped the group. "Do me a favor and check our bags for a hex-bag or hex-coin. I don't think these people use those, but I couldn't shake the feeling that someone was following us all day."

"No problem, Dean." Sam said.

It took them twenty minutes to go through everything they bought, but they didn't find anything that they hadn't put there themselves.

"Great." Dean said, his migraine still pulsing behind his eyes. "Then let's get to the infirmary and see if they have morphine."


	8. Early Morning Encounters

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Dobby (Hogwarts House-elf, Free)

Winky (Hogwarts House-elf, Free)

Sybill Trelawney (Divination Professor)

* * *

Harry woke up on Monday before dawn to the sound of Ron snoring from the other bed. His dream floated on the edge of his memory for a moment before fading into mist, leaving a feeling of need, or longing that he couldn't understand. He rolled over in his bed but there was no chance of him going back to sleep. His body was wide awake.

Carefully so as not to wake up his room mates, Harry got dressed then snuck out of the dormitory. The common room was empty and the fire had burned down to embers. A quick look around showed that once again all the hats, if the lumps of yarn really could be called hats, had disappeared again. Maybe the house-elves really did want to be freed.

Harry sat down in one of the armchairs near the fire. Reaching into his robes he pulled out the letter that Sirius had sent him.

 _Dumbledore hired Hunters? I don't know if that is the stupidest or_

 _most brilliant thing he has ever done._

Harry smiled to himself, Dumbledore really did always do things that were both brilliant and crazy.

What he couldn't figure out is why he was so interested in his new DADA teachers. They were certainly interesting and mysterious enough. But it was more than that. Maybe it was because they hadn't reacted to his name when every other wizard he had ever met had...Or maybe he was just trying to forget the fact that Dumbledore was ignoring him...had been ignoring him since he came back from the graveyard at the end of the TriWizard Tournament clutching Cedric's body….Or maybe it was so he could forget that night himself.

… _.Voldemort had the ones in Britain killed …._

One thing he did know was that Voldemort considered Hunters to be a threat. They were muggles but Voldemort had specifically gone out of his way to have all the ones in Britain killed. How could muggles fight against Dark Wizards so efficiently without magic?

It had been three weeks since school started and still no one knew anything about the Winchesters. Even less about the Boarder they had brought with them, Kevin Tran. No one had seen him since the Start of the Term feast, although rumors had flown that the three of them had gone to Hogsmeade the first weekend of the school year.

Harry folded the letter up, putting it back into his robes. His thoughts were spiraling, going nowhere fast. Maybe if he ate something he would be able to figure this out. So without really thinking about it Harry's stood up and left Gryffindor tower, his feet leading him to the Hogwarts kitchens…

* * *

Being the free house-elf in a group of indentured house-elves was always hard, but Dobby and Winky had been hired by the great Dumbledore himself so the other house-elves left them alone for the most part, other than a few disapproving looks when Dobby wore his new hats.

It had been luck that had had Dobby find the first hat in the Gryffindor Common Room. He had excitedly shown his fellow house-elves who, after a brief meeting where they all agreed that the hidden clothing items were insulting, then decided that from now on only Dobby and Winky would clean the Gryffindor tower.

Dobby didn't mind. It meant he could watch over Harry Potter. Dobby would sometimes follow Harry Potter around from the shadows, hoping for an opportunity to talk to him, but so far he hadn't had the chance. The tower was easy enough to clean though, so Dobby had also been assigned cleaning duties of the new boarder, Kevin Tran, who now inhabited the Room of Requirements.

Dobby had thought that this would be easy but the human never left his room, except the first weekend, and Kevin Tran barely slept. Dobby had given up on trying to clean the room while he was asleep and had instead tried while he was concentrating on the broken rock tablet. Dobby had once seen him stare at it for five hours without blinking. This seemed to work with some success. Cleaning old food, dirty clothes and replacing writing tools, could be done with brief steps into the light. The human only noticed the changes enough to appreciate the unseen help that the room provided.

After doing this for two weeks Dobby grew bolder and tried to clean Kevin Tran's notes. Kevin who was once again staring at the broken tablet, jerked his hand out and grabbed Dobby's arm just as he touched the first sheet of paper.

Reaching over Kevin grabbed his glass of water and dumped it on Dobby. The House-elf stood there blinking at the human as water fell from his many hats, and dripped off his pencil-like nose.

"You're not a demon, so what are you?" Kevin demanded after a moment.

"Dobby is a house-elf, sir. Dobby is charged with cleaning your room, sir. " He squeaked bowing awkwardly with his hand still in a vice-grip. Kevin Tran looked him over again, before slowly releasing his hand.

Dobby stayed still, waiting for Kevin Tran to either order him to do something, or go back to what he was doing. His large pointed ears were sticking out from beneath what looked like a dozen knitted hats, they were stacked one on top of the other so that his head seemed elongated by two or three feet. He also wore several scarves and innumerable socks, so that his feet looked too large for his body.

"You've been cleaning my room?" Kevin Tran asked.

"Yes, sir."

"Um...Thank you…Just...don't touch those papers."

Tears sprang to Dobby's eyes. Kevin Tran was just as kind and generous as Harry Potter and his Wheezy.

"Of course, Kevin Tran, sir. Dobby will not clean the papers, sir." The two of them stared at each other for another minute, neither really sure what they should be doing. "Dobby will go back to cleaning now."

Kevin nodded, his eyes following the house-elf as he finished his chores.

"Done, sir. Dobby will be leaving now." He squeaked, bowing slightly with a bag of laundry by his side.

"Thank." Kevin said again. "Hey Dobby."

"Yes, Kevin Tran, sir?"

"Do you mind letting me know when you're here? I don't like people sneaking around me."

"Of course, Kevin Tran, sir. Dobby will knock when he comes to clean the room."

Kevin smiled at Dobby, then turned back to his stone, already absorbed back into it as if the house-elf had vanished.

* * *

Over the next week the two of them grew into a comfortable routine. Dobby would come to clean and while he cleaned Kevin would ask him about the castle. Dobby would tell stories about some of the students or other house-elves. He especially loved to tell about one of the Gryffindors named Harry Potter.

Kevin leaned back in his chair stretching in the early hours the morning.

"I need coffee." He told Dobby who was currently cleaning his room.

"Dobby will get Kevin Tran coffee." He squeaked excitedly.

"Do you mind showing me the Kitchen, actually?" Kevin asked as he stood up. "Been awhile since I left this room. I think I'm getting cabin fever."

"Follow Dobby. He will show you the Kitchens. Dobby will introduce Kevin Tran to Winky!"

If anyone had gone out of their dorms that monday they would have seen a very strangely dressed house-elf happily leading the yawning Boarder through Hogwarts. Something that the portraits did whisper to each other until by the time the two of them reached the basement the paintings were crowding each other to see them.

Stopping in front of a painting with a bowl of fruit, Dobby reached out and tickled the pear. Kevin watched as the pear squirmed laughed and then transformed into a green door-knob.

* * *

Harry arrived at the Kitchen entrance feeling a little confused. Everyone was usually still asleep at this time, including the paintings. But for some strange reason they were all excitedly gossiping with each other. _Maybe Misses Norris was having kittens._ He thought to himself in amusement. It would certainly be the talk of the castle if that did happen.

Tickling the pear Harry entered the kitchen. The house-elves were bustling around getting breakfast ready for the castle. It wasn't hard to spot the house-elf he was looking for because Dobby was the most colorful elf in the room. Harry was surprised to see that Dobby was wearing what looked to be all the hats, scarves and socks that Hermione had left in the Gryffindor common room.

Weaving his way through the house-elves Harry approached his friend. Dobby was talking excitedly to the small asian that Harry has last seen at the Start of the Term feast.

"Why aren't you or Winky wearing towels?" Kevin was asking Dobby, pointing at the other house-elves who were wearing tea towels tied together like togas.

"Winky and Dobby is free house-elves." Dobby said proudly, just before he noticed Harry. "Harry Potter!" He squeaked waving excitedly for him to come over.

Kevin looked over and nodded, his hands back around his coffee mug.

"So you're the famous Harry Potter." Kevin said when Harry settled himself across from him. Harry's eyebrows shot up in surprise. He didn't think any of the three resident muggles knew he was famous. "Dobby has been telling me stories about you all week." He continued looking fondly at the elf. "He seems to be a fan."

"Er...yeah." Harry said. One of the house-elves came over a put a plate of eggs, sausage and toast in front of him. "Did you already eat?" Harry asked when they didn't give a plate to Kevin.

"Not hungry. Just came to clear my head." He said taking another sip of his coffee."So what's it like to go to school here?"

"Hogwarts is great." Harry said enthusiastically, digging into his food. "There's just nothing else in the world like being here."

Kevin looked over at the bustling house-elves who would randomly bow before going back to work. "What do they teach here? I have have a hard time picturing English or Math classes."

Harry laughed. "Yeah. We have Potions, Care of Magical Creatures, Transfigurations, Charms, Muggle Studies, History of Magic, Defense Against the Dark Arts, Herbology, Astronomy, Divination, Arithmancy, and Study of Ancient Runes." He said counting the classes on his fingers.

"There's a Divination class?" Kevin asked his expression suddenly more serious.

"Yeah, although I'm not sure how much I believe of what Professor Trelawney is teaching us. She likes to predict all the horrible ways in which I'll die, usually within the week. And if she's feeling generous in the next few minutes." Harry said with a grimace. "I have it later today just before Defense Against the Dark Arts."

Kevin looked at his coffee for a moment before asking, "Do you think I could come?"

"I don't know why not." Harry replied after a moment. "Trelawney loves an audience."

They talked some more about the different subject with Harry telling stories about various teachers. After a while Harry breached the subject he really wanted to talk about. Trying to sound casual he asked, "So what's it like being a Hunter?"

"I'm not a Hunter." Kevin said, "Just trying not to get killed, or tortured, or have anymore of my friends killed."

Before Harry could ask him to elaborate the morning warning bell rang. He excused himself and left to go get his school supplies, but not before they made plans to meet at the seventh floor staircase just before Harry's Divination class.


	9. Divinations

Quick Authors note: Sorry this took so long. Trelawney was a lot harder to write then I had originally though. Also Cas it taking longer to make an appearance then I had originally planned. Soon though :)

Thanks again to everyone who's read, reviewed, followed, and favorited this story. I hope you continue to enjoy reading this story.

~Dracona

* * *

Chapter 9:

"Why are we taking the long way to Divinations?" Ron asked as he followed Harry up the Sixth floor stairway. "I know Trelawney is annoying, but I don't see how going this way is going to make her any better."

Harry rolled his eyes at his best friend. "Just follow me. I promise it'll be worth it."

Ron grumbled but followed along grudgingly. "If it's not worth it I'm going to kick your arse." He mumbled under his breath. "And why didn't we tell Hermione?"

"Because she doesn't take Divination anymore." Harry said matter of factly. He was feeling a little guilty about not telling her about Kevin, though. The main problem was that he had noticed that Hermione had started to act the same way as she had around Lockhart back in Second Year towards the new DADA teachers and Harry didn't need Ron acting jealous when he could help it.

The two finally reached the Seventh floor stairway and Harry waved at Kevin from the bottom. Ron looked back and forth between the two before saying "Is this why you weren't at breakfast?"

Kevin was wearing a black robe over his jeans and blue shirt. _Probably in an attempt to look less conspicuous._ Harry thought to himself. "Are you sure you want to come?" Harry asked when they reached to top of the stairs.

"Yes." Kevin said with a determined look.

* * *

They climbed up the trapdoor ladder and into the incense filled classroom. After a quick look around the three headed for one of the round tables in the corner.

Kevin was grateful for the dim lighting. Looking around the room he found that he wasn't really sure why he had come to this class,. But he needed help. The Demon Tablet was broken which meant he couldn't read the second Trial completely. It said something about a Soul and Hell but that was as much as he could see. Maybe something in this class would help him decipher the rest of it, and it wasn't really a translation problem or he probably would have tried the Ancient Ruins class. So he sat next to the two Gryffindors and tried to ignore the gawking students.

When everyone had settled down a thin woman, heavily draped in shawls and glittering with strings of beads, stepped into the dim light. Kevin assumed she was the Professor that Harry had told him about that morning. She reminded him of some sort of insect with her glasses hugely magnifying her eyes which gazed at her students as if she wasn't really seeing them.

"Good Day. Welcome back to Divinations. I hope you have all been keeping your dream journals?" said Professor Trelawney in a misty, dreamy voice. "Today we will be looking for patterns in your dreams as they show truer insight into the future. If you would open…" She trailed off, her eyes falling onto Kevin.

"My dear boy." She said, then wove her way through the class to Kevin. "It is so nice to finally meet you in person."

"It's nice to meet you too...I guess." He replied. The sudden intense attention was more than a little uncomfortable.

"I, of course, have known that you would be here as I have Seen in with the Inter Eye. Please join us in today's lesson." Trelawney swept back to the front of the class. "If you would all turn to page forty-seven in your books." She continued in her dreamy tone. She spent the next few minutes weaving through the students and making comments as she passed. "...the re-occurring jewelry box signifies that you have hidden your potential and you must unleash it." She told a group of girls at one table.

"Do you mind if I look at that?" Kevin asked pointing at Ron's Oracle.

"Be my guest." Ron replied pushing his textbook towards Kevin. "Are you actually interested in this?" He asked after watching Kevin devour the book, flipping to the index and quickly marking pages that he wanted to study. Harry held out his quill and some parchment and the two boys watched as Kevin beginning to take notes on multiple pages.

"Let's just say I have experience with interpreting things. This seems to be simple enough." He said not looking at them.

Harry shared a look with Ron. "So what are your dreams like?" He asked curiously.

Kevin glanced up for a second. "I don't dream most nights but it's usually watching my girlfriend get killed." Then he went back down to reading the book.

"Who kills her in your dreams?"

"The King of Hell."

Harry opened his Oracle and flipped to the index looking for an entry on 'the King of Hell'. "What is it suppose to represent?" Ron asked, peering at the book.

"Huh?" Kevin asked. "Oh! What? No, sorry that's a memory not a dream. It won't mean anything because it's already happened."

"Your girlfriend was killed by the King of Hell?" Ron asked incredulously.

"Yeah."

"She was killed by Lucifer?" Harry asked.

"What? No. Crowley." Kevin replied, not looking at them.

Harry, Ron and the few students who overheard the conversation were staring at Kevin in confusion. No one seemed to know what to do say. "My dreams are useless. Can I see your dream journal?" Kevin asked, then without waiting he grabbed Ron's journal and started reading out loud. " _I'm walking through a library where people are dressed exactly like the paintings that are being displayed on easels in the isle's_."

"Hey!"

"You are looking for answers to an important question, surrounded by enemies and friends that are both real and imaginary …" Kevin looked at Ron for a moment. "Were Harry and a girl with you in the dream?"

"How did you…? Who are you?!" Ron demanded.

"I'm a Kevin Tran. I'm in Advanced Placement." He replied with a grin. It was how he had replied when he first met Sam, and it had been the way that Sam had introduced him to Dean.

Kevin grabbed Harry's journal. Most of the entries were of dreams with him eating porridge, obviously these weren't his actual dreams. Kevin may have been a good student in school but even he knew when someone was half-assing the assignment.

"You have been touched by the Divine." Trelawney said from right behind Kevin, making him jump. She had snuck up on him while he had been distracted.

"Um...You could say that."

"I See that you have some small ability with the Inner Eye." She continued in her mystical voice. "I could show you the paths through the Mind, and guide you through the Mists of the Future."

"...Thank you."

Trelawney plucked Harry's dream journal from Kevin's hands, then proceeded to spend the rest of the lesson telling the class all about how the dreams of porridge were signs of his early death. Kevin watched in morbid fascination. He wasn't really sure if she knew was gifted or just lucky, but she definitely got it right when she said he was touched by the divine, and now so terribly terribly wrong as she rambled on about all the reasons these dreams meant that Harry was doomed to die young.

* * *

When they climbed down the ladder Kevin turned to Harry. "Did you do something to make her hate you?"

"No." Harry replied miserably.

"She just likes picking on Harry because he's an easy target." Ron explained. "What with him being the Boy-Who-Lived, and all."

"What's that supposed to mean?" Kevin asked.

"Harry's famous for surviving the Killing Curse."

"That's cool," Kevin said, "but I don't see how that makes him an easy target."

"I thought you knew I was famous." Harry said, confused. "You said 'So you're the Famous Harry Potter.' This morning at breakfast."

"That's because Dobby talks about you all the time. 'Harry Potter was doing homework.' 'Harry Potter had Quid-something practice.' 'Harry Potter gave Dobby a sock!' Stuff like that. He can go on for hours if you let him. It's a little stalkerish but mostly harmless."

"Oh...Well I guess that makes sense." Harry said as the three headed for the Defense Against the Dark Arts class.

Ron took over the conversation from here telling Kevin about the Wizarding War that ended when Harry as a baby survived the Killing Curse and reflected it back at Voldemort. Then telling him about finding out when they were in their first year that he hadn't died and was currently living as a spirit. Until finally he ended on Harry being transported during the last TriWizard Tournament task and ending up in a graveyard.

"…Then Harry arrived back in front of the maze clutching Cedric's body and telling everyone that He-Who-Must-Not-Be-Named had come back. Unfortunately most people don't believe him." Ron finished just as they arrived in the Defense Against the Dark Arts corridor.

"I'm sorry. Having a maniac after you sucks." Kevin said empathetically. "I know why you put those porridge dreams in your journal. So what have you been dreaming about?"

"I don't remember. I wish I did but when I wake up they disappear. But it's not like a normal dreamless night." Harry replied unsure why he was being honest.

Ron walked through the classroom door, slowing down as he waved at one of the girls in the class.

"Thank you Harry." Kevin said, nodding briefly at the Winchesters who grinned when they saw him walk in the room. "Not sure how much that helped but it was definitely interesting."

Kevin held out his hand for a handshake, which Harry warmly accepted.

 _Kevin walked down a long strange corridor that seemed to call to him. The closer he got the stronger the call until he found himself with his hand grasping the doorknob. Inside he found multiple rooms, some that were only filled with clear orbs filled with smoke. Shelves and shelves of them. Other rooms called out and Kevin followed until he stood in a large echoing room. In the middle was a raised stone dais in a sunken, great stone pit some twenty feet deep, with benches running all around the room and descending in steep steps like an amphitheater. All of which centered around a tall stone pointed archway that looked so ancient, cracked and crumbling that it was amazing it was still standing. The Arch held a black tattered curtain, gently fluttering and swaying in the still room._

 _Kevin watched as Sam and Dean walked up to it and with a wave Sam stepped through._

* * *

When Kevin took Harry's hand he suddenly dropped, seizing to the floor. Sam and Dean were there so fast that for a moment Harry thought they had Apparated.

"Kevin!" Dean yelled, scooping his body into his arms. "Stay with us buddy. Come on."

Sam checked his pulse, as he repeated "Kevin wake up." Over and over.

The seizure only lasted a minute but by the time it ended the whole DADA class was surrounding them.

Kevin groaned and his hand reached for his head. He sat up his eyes still closed and his nose dripping blood.

"Paper." He said, his voice raw.

"Yeah. One sec." Sam scrambled around for a moment and handed a quill and paper to him.

"Thanks." Kevin quickly scribbled down something on the paper that Harry couldn't see then handed it to the Professors.

Sam glanced at it then looked around at his students. "Class dismissed. Sorry."

"Let's get you to the infirmary. Their nurse has really great stuff for headaches." Dean was saying as he pulled Kevin up to his feet. "If Chuck was anything to go by you're going to need some painkillers and quick."

"Thanks Dean." Kevin could be heard saying as they left the room.

Hermione raced up to Harry and grabbed his arm. "What happened? And when did you meet Kevin?"

Ron and Harry looked at each other. "It's a long story." Harry replied.


	10. The Great Escapist

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Kara (Biggerson's Waitress)

Perry (Biggerson's Waiter)

Lance (Biggerson's Manager)

Ion (Angel)

Naomi (Angel, Leader of one of the Factions of Heaven)

* * *

"Why didn't you tell me that Kevin was going to Divinations with you?" Hermione asked flustered. They had gone back to the Gryffindor Common room and spent their free DADA time catching Hermione up with everything that had happened since Harry woke up that morning.

Harry used the same excuse that he had that morning. "You don't take Divinations and I didn't want you to be distracted during Ancient Ruins."

"Plus you were there for all the excitement." Ron said, "Although I can't for the life of me figure out out he knew about you, and Harry being with me in my dream. I specifically left it out so Trelawney couldn't come up with another reason that Harry was going to die. Sorry mate."

Harry shrugged.

"It's almost as if Kevin was better at Divination than Trelawney is." Ron continued. "But that doesn't make sense. He's a muggle!"

Hermione looked between the two, her mind suddenly free to look at the whole situation now that she wasn't focused on why Harry hadn't told her about Kevin in the first place. "Harry, this morning you said Kevin told you he wasn't a Hunter? "

Harry looked at her curiously. "Yeah?"

"Did he say why he wanted to go to Divination?" She asked.

"No. Just that he needed to clear his head." Harry replied.

"And Ron, you mentioned that Trelawney told Kevin that he was 'touched by the Divine?' But he didn't seem surprised by it?"

"Yep." Ron said.

"And he knew about parts of your dream that weren't in the dream journal?" Hermione continued, her questions coming out faster as she clarified everything. Ron nodded. "Then when Kevin shook your hand Harry he passed out, although not for long. The Winchesters, didn't seem surprised when his first request was paper. They acted like it was almost normal."

"And?" Ron asked.

"What if it was normal? Muggles have people who are said to be able to see the future. They're usually fake, but even though I don't believe in it, what if Kevin can actually divine the future?"

"If he could tell the future it would explain why the King of Hell killed his girlfriend." Harry said slowly.

"Do you really believe that?" Hermione asked.

"He certainly believed so." Ron said.

"Why would Lucifer kill his girlfriend?"

"Not Lucifer. Crowley." Harry and Ron both said at the same time. They grinned at each other.

Hermione looked at them annoyed. "You are not helping….The Winchesters did say that demons are real. Do you think this has something to do with that?"

"Maybe," Harry replied. "But I don't think we're going to get any answers by just speculating."

"You are absolutely right." Hermione said, "I am going to ask them directly."

Harry rolled his eyes. There was no stopping Hermione now, their next Defense Against the Dark Arts class was definitely going to be interesting.

* * *

It wasn't long into Kara's shift at Biggerson's when a man in a trench coat sat down at her table. It was hot in Santa Fe but that didn't seem to stop people from drinking coffee, especially not him. He was on his third cup already. The man was looking at his watch when she came back around with a fresh pot.

"I guess I've been acquiring the taste." He said as she refilled his cup.

"Yeah, the coffee's not bad here."

"You know, I remember when you first discovered it. Before you started brewing it, you'd just chew the berries. Folk tale is true, by the way, you learned it from the goats."

It was usually best to humor crazy customers. "Uh, been on the road a long time, huh?" She asked.

"Feels like I've been on the run forever."

He was definitely crazy...yep. She thought as she exchanges a look with the guy behind the counter. "Uh, I'm sorry, mister, but you're gonna have to order more than coffee if you wanna keep the table." Kara said gently

"Of course, um..." He said with a glance at the menu, "I'll have the smart-heart beer-battered tempura tempters."

"Of course. Coming right up." Kara said grateful for the escape.

"They're getting closer." He said and Perry who was taking an order at the next table vaguely heard him

"What's that, chief?" He asked looking over just in time to see him disappear.

Perry got down on all fours, looking under the table the man was sitting at just as his manager Lance came out of the kitchen.

"What are you doing?" Lance asked, getting down on his knees as well.

"I swear to God, Lance, the guy just disappeared."

"You on that crack again, Perry?" Lance asked.

* * *

Dean woke up early on Wednesday morning. Throwing the blankets off he sat on the edge of his bed and did what he had done every morning since he had been thrown into Purgatory. He prayed.

"Dear Castiel. I know you're probably still running away, buddy. I wish you would trust us more but I get it... Just… take care of yourself okay Cas? You can always find us if you need anything…"

Getting up Dean went to take a shower. He and Sam only had two classes today which meant they could try to find the place in Kevin's vision, not having the internet was definitely making research slower though. After he had finished washing up Dean let the spray in the shower pour down, washing away his stress. The water pressure here was awesome.

When he was done he grabbed a towel and after wrapping it around his waist went to wake Sam up.

"Hey Sam." He said pulling the blankets off the bed. "Time to wake up. Snape was going to come over and help us with required spell work before classes this morning remember?"

Sam groaned and rolled over. "Five more minutes Dad."

Dean laughed as he sat down on Sam's bed, and shook him awake. "Seriously dude. Wake up. You're having nightmares."

Sam smacked his hand away. "I'm getting up. I'm getting up...Do we have any coffee?"

"I can smell it if that's what you mean." Dean said as he watched Sam hunt for his clothes without opening his eyes. "I'm going to finish getting dressed."

Sam grunted in acknowledgement..

"No going back to sleep." Dean yelled as he left the room.

* * *

In an office of white and glass, a man stood in front of his leader.

"Ion, tell me that you have good news." Naomi said.

"He's using a clever tactic. It's a restaurant called Biggerson's." Ion said carefully. "The humans have built hundreds of them, almost exactly alike."

Naomi narrowed her eyes. "What are you talking about?"

"It's their sameness. Castiel is using it against us." Ion continued. "Now, we try to orient ourselves, but it's as if we're in every Biggerson's at once. Trapped in a quantum superposition." Ion grimaced. "Now, he chooses which to go to next. That's what's giving him the edge.

"You're saying that you can't catch him." Naomi stated, carefully restrained anger in her voice.

"There's...there's just so many Biggerson's."

"Very well. You say he can't be caught? Then we will simply have to make him stop."

Ion nodded nervously.

Castiel sats at the table, drinking his coffee while the scenery behind him changed rapidly.

Bangor, Maine.

Lincoln, Nebraska.

Reno, Nevada.

Tucson, Arizona

Then back to Santa Fe, New Mexico. Castiel paused. Something wasn't right. Looking down passed his cup he saw that his table was smeared with blood. He looked around the restaurant and found it was littered with broken bodies.

A voice could be heard faintly from the ground. "You have to stop."

Castiel stood up and found his waitress Kara crumpled against one of the booths. Her eyes were gone. Burned out by the angels that had massacred the humans.

"They said you have to stop." Kara repeated over and over. "You have to stop."

"No." He whispered as grief and rage filled him. Cas reached out to heal her but stopped suddenly as an angel blade pressed itself against his throat.

"You have to stop. You have to stop. They said you…"

Cas heard a snap, and Kara's neck broke. He glared at the woman in a business suit standing over her. No remorse showed on her face, just annoyance. "Can't hear myself think."

"We were supposed to be their shepherds, not their murderers." Cas growled at Naomi.

"Not always, angel. There was that day, back in Egypt, not so long ago, where we slew every first-born infant whose door wasn't splashed with lamb's blood...And that was just PR." Naomi said.

"Well, I wasn't there."

"Oh, you were there. You just don't remember it." Naomi said walking up to him. "Where is the angel tablet, Castiel?"

"In the words of a good friend... bite me."

Naomi glared at Castiel before turning to her two guards. "Go. Search all these Biggerson's. He must have hidden it along the way."

Naomi watched over Cas while the angels searched.

Ion arrived back first. "I've been all over them. It's not there."

Naomi stood up, her hand gripping her angel blade in an attempt to calm down. "Why? Why are you doing this?" She asked.

Before Cas could answer a gunshot echoed through the restaurant. The angel next to Naomi fell to the ground, light filling the room as his Grace left him. A second shot hit Ion in the arm. His blood and Grace dripped from his wound.

"Naomi, darling. Miss me?" Crowley asked.

Naomi whipped around to glare at the demon.

"Do you like it? I had my R and D people melt down one of your angel blades, cast it into bullets. Seems to do the trick."

"How dare you." Naomi growled.

Crowley smiled cheekily "I'm the daringest devil you've ever met, love."

Pulling out her Grace and filling the room Naomi stared the demon down.

Pointing his gun at Naomi, Crowley smiled. "We've been here before, haven't we? Let's see who blinks first." Then he pulled the trigger.

Naomi disappeared.

"Hmm." Crowley shrugged. "Hi, Cas…" Crowley said as he sauntered over. "That's right, Cas. I got me an angel on the payroll. It's that kinda universe, these days." Then he turned the gun on Cas and shot him in the stomach. "Now grab him and follow me."

* * *

Sam, Dean and Kevin were sitting around the coffee table in the Winchester's suite waiting for Snape. They were looking over books for the location Kevin had seen in his vision.

Snape hadn't been able to come that morning because of an accident with the Second Years in Herbology involving Puffapods, which had required him to brew potions for most of the morning to fix. So they had agreed to change their rendezvous to after Snape was done with Potions.

Dean groaned as he threw one of the books down. "This is so annoying! I don't mind research. Really I don't, but I feel like I haven't killed anything in sooo long."

Looking at each other Sam and Kevin laughed.

Snape walked in just in time to hear the last part. "If you would kindly refrain from taking out your bloodthirst on the students, I'm sure the Headmaster will appreciate your restraint." He said dryly as he moved some of the paper that had found it's way to the couch. "And what is the quest today?" He asked. The Winchesters were always researching something. A discovery that had surprised Snape.

Kevin held out a few crudely drawn pictures. One of an arch with a cloth on it, and another of a room filled with shelves of orbs.

"Where did you get these?" Snape asked.

"Do you recognize them?" Kevin asked excitedly. "I think they have something to do with the next Trial."

Snape's mind was racing. The Dark Lord had been obsessed with the room with the orbs since his resurrection. Why would these Hunters suddenly be looking for the same room? "I'm not sure but I believe this is in the Ministry of Magic." Snape said slowly. "What are you trying to do?"

"We're going to close the gates of Hell." Kevin said.

* * *

Crowley watched leisurely as Ion pushed Castiel into the chair across the desk. "Just wanted to take a moment away from the main action to chat with my old business partner. I assume you won't die just yet. Takes a painful long time to bleed out from the gut."

Cas looked at him guardedly as he clutched his stomach, blood seeping through his fingers. "You can do whatever you want, Crowley. I will never tell you where I buried the tablet."

"I know, Cas. I know. Luckily, I don't believe you'll have to. I've been getting regular updates from my expensive friend here. Naomi should have caught you out of the gate, seeing as lately she's been knuckles-deep in that melon of yours. She thinks that your touching the tablet has broken her spell over you, hmm?" Crowley stood up and walked around the desk.

"The tablets weren't meant for the angels, and they weren't meant for you." Cas said.

"She's got a lot on her plate, so you can't fault her for missing it." Crowley continued as if he hadn't heard Cas. "I was thinking to myself, 'self, if Cas got away from her by touching the tablet, why would he ever stop touching the tablet?' And then I thought to myself, 'self... he hasn't stopped touching the tablet, now has he?'"

Crowley grabbed Cas's shoulder and plunged his other hand into Cas's stomach. Groaning in pain Cas tried unsuccessfully to fight him off, but a moment later Crowley's hand retreated pulling out the stone.

"Oh, you're a pip, you are." He said, before he was interrupted by his phone ringing.

Crowley smiled at the Angel Tablet before tucking it into his suit jacket and pulling out his phone. "Oh! This is the king...You jackasses, you're ruining my streak!" Hanging up Crowley growled at Ion, "Watch him. I'll be right back." before he vanished.

When he was gone Cas turned his head looking at his brother. If he could just distract him…

Sitting still Cas pushed where he knew it would hurt. "We aren't machines for them to program and reprogram. That wasn't what this was meant to be." He told Ion.

With a resigned sigh Ion turned away from Castiel to look out the window, "Nothing matters."

"You are so wrong, brother. It all matters." Cas told him, gritting his teeth as he discreetly removed the bullet.

"You soldiers, down in the garrison, at least they let you believe the lie. Upstairs, working for Naomi, working in intelligence, we had no option but to live in the dirt. She never reset me completely. I always knew too much, I had to...I had to do my job."

Cas stood up, coming up behind Ion. "Ion...Shut up." He said as he knocked Ion to the ground and pushed the bullet into his eye. Grace filled the room in a blinding flash.

* * *

The Great Hall was loud when Harry, Hermione and Ron sat down for dinner. Harry was surprised to see Kevin sitting at the Staff Table talking comfortably with Snape. Hermione watched them impatiently.

"Staring at them isn't going to let you ask them questions sooner." Ron said as he reached for the boiled potatoes.

"I know." She said. "But I might be able to catch them after dinner..."

"You should still eat." Ron said pointing at the roast chicken in front of her.

Harry shook his head as he ate his own food. If there was one thing his friends were good at it was distracting him. Hagrid seat was still empty at the staff table and when he had asked Professor Grubbly-Plank earlier that day, she had just told him that he would come back when he came back and to get back to the assignment.

Harry felt the faint sound of wings more than he heard it, just before some of the students screamed from near the Staff table. A man in a trenchcoat had apparated into the middle of the Great Hall. There was a wave as everyone moved away from him with the teachers and some of the older students putting others behind them and pulling out their wands. The Trio were all holding their own wands as well although none of them could remember pulling them out. Their muscles strained.

Then Dean's voice could suddenly be heard over the pandemonium.

"Cas?"

"A little help, here?" The man said and Harry noticed blood falling from a wound in his stomach just before he fell over.

Sam and Dean jumped over the table and picked the man off the floor. "I told you, you should have come here sooner." Dean could be heard saying in the sudden quiet of the hall.

"We should bring him to the Hospital Wing." Snape said, his wand still pointing at the unconscious man.

"Won't do any good." Sam said, as he put his hand gently on Snape's arm and lowering his wand. "It's best to just let him rest."

"Son of a Bitch. Sometimes I think you're more trouble than you're worth." Dean said as he headed out of the Hall, followed by Sam, Kevin and half the teachers.

Professor McGonagall stayed behind long enough to order the Prefects to lead everyone back to their Houses.

"But how did he Apparate in Hogwarts?" Hermione repeated over and over as she led the first years back to Gryffindor Tower.


	11. Wards Against Angels

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Bathsheda Babbling (Ancient Runes Professor)

Filius Flitwick (Charms Professor)

* * *

It was a strange procession that followed Dean, Sam and Kevin back to the Defense Corridor. Dumbledore was holding off any questions from the staff until they had taken care of their injured guest, and from the look of the Winchesters they wouldn't answer them until then anyway. When they arrived at their suite Dean found that Hogwarts had anticipated their needs and added a new room. Dean nodded once already getting use to the way the castle worked, walked into the new room and lay Cas carefully on the bed.

"Kevin you're in charge of watching him. You can fix the Tablets so hopefully some of that juju rubs off and helps get Cas on his feet sooner. Oh and one sec…" Dean left and the staff watched him rush to his room and come back holding a completely silver blade, before disappearing back into the new room. "Just in case." Dean said holding it out to Kevin.

"Sure Dean." Kevin said. "But do you think they'll come here?"

"We both know that there's only two things that can hurt an angel, and the Leviathans are in Purgatory. This won't take long, I promise." Dean reassuringly put his hand on Kevin's shoulder before he left the room.

Sam had pulled the teachers around their dinner table and spread a parchment across it. "We're going to need to move quickly." He said as he started writing out the angel wards. "This sigil needs to go in the four main corners of the school grounds. Once they're in place we can add these wards...to help strengthen them. If we're fast enough that should prevent any unwanted visitors."

"My dear Professors Winchester," Dumbledore said "may I ask what it is we are warding against?"

"Angels" Dean said from behind the group. "It looks like their civil war just kicked itself up a notch. We don't know if anyone is following Cas but it's better safe than sorry when it comes to angels. They tend to have a kill first, ask questions later policy."

"Dean's right. Just in case any angels do get in before the wards are put up use this sigil... It banishes them for about ten minutes." Sam said writing out yet another sigil on the paper. "Just try not to do it near Cas, because he'll be in the crossfire and I'm not sure how well he'll survive the trip."

"Why isn't it banishing him now?" McGonagall asked looking down at it.

"Because you have to draw it in human blood." Sam said. "Also once it's drawn it won't activate until you place your hand on the sigil."

Dean nodded. "We better get moving. Sam and I will go to the North and South corners if someone wouldn't mind taking us there?"

"I will take the East corner." Bathsheda Babbling, the Ancient Runes teacher said. "Do these also need to be drawn in blood?"

"No." Sam laughed. "Paint is fine."

"Wonderful."

"I will do the West corner." Dumbledore said with a wink. "It's good to know that I can still be useful in my old age." With a nod to the Winchesters, Dumbledore and Babbling left.

"Sam if you will follow me I will take you to Northern corner." McGonagall said.

"And I will lead you to the Southern corner." Snape told Dean.

Flitwick looked around at the rest of the teachers who were still shuffling in confusion. "And we…" He said in his squeaky voice, looking at them pointedly. "Will monitor the Halls for intruders until the wards are in place."

A chorus of agreement followed his statement and everyone left the room.

Dean caught Flitwick by his shoulder, stopping him as the rest of the teachers filled out. "Do you mind keeping an eye on Kevin and Cas?" He asked.

Flitwick pulled himself up to his full, not very tall, height. "I would be honored to."

"Thank you." Dean said and left to put up the wards.

* * *

Harry ran up to his room when they arrived back at Gryffindor tower and pulled out his Invisibility Cloak.

"That's brilliant Harry." Ron said from the doorway where he was standing guard while they waited for Hermione. "Where do you think they're taking him? It didn't sound like he was going to the Hospital Wing."

Harry threw open his trunk and rummaged around until he found what he was looking for. Opening the blank parchment Harry said, "I solemnly swear I am up to no good."

The map spread out before him until every room was shown, as well as dots showing where everyone was. Most of the dots were concentrated in the four Hogwarts houses. It took Harry a moment of searching the map to find the teachers. It looked like most of them were in the defense corridor but they were all leaving. Only three dots stayed in the rooms, two showed Kevin Tran and Filius Flitwick. Harry looked at the name on the third dot confused. It read: Castiel. Why wasn't his last name included?

Now wasn't really the time to figure it out. Harry put the map in his robe pocket just as Hermione finally arrived.

"Ready?" Harry asked.

With a nod from both of his friends they all huddled under the cloak and snuck out of the Gryffindor tower. They managed to leave out just as the last Gryffindor entered the common room. They maneuvered through the corridors, carefully avoiding the patrolling Faculty and Mrs Norris with the help of the map.

It wasn't long before they arrived at the Defense corridor. With one last look at the map the Trio waited until Flitwick moved from one side of the hall to the other then snuck into the room.

The Professor's' quarters were not what they had expected. Although now that he thought about it Harry wasn't really sure what he was expecting. The room was filled with various weapons, books from the library, as well as what looked to be a few personal journals. On the walls were collages that looked like something Harry vaguely remembered from cop shows and spy movies, Harry stopped next to the one that said "Defense Against the Dark Arts Curse"

There were multiple news articles and lists of past professors. Harry spotted the newspaper clipping of Lockhart shaking his hand in Flourish and Blotts when he had announced his taking of the teaching post. Harry was strangely happy to see that his picture self was putting up a good fight to stay out of the frame.

Ron poked him to get him moving towards the door where Kevin and Castiel were. The three of them trying their hardest not to make any noise as they edged closer to the door.

They heard some groaning from the other room and someone shifting.

"Castiel?" They heard Kevin say.

"Kevin Tran. It is good that you are safe." Castiel said in his rough voice. "The garrison will be relieved."

"Yeah. Hiding behind wards have their perks." Kevin said as Harry, Ron and Hermione tiptoed into the bedroom carefully. "How's your…." Kevin pointed at Cas's stomach. "Injury."

"Healing."

Kevin nodded. "You sound better. Looks like you're not crazy anymore. Although I think I'll miss that." He said with a crooked smile.

"You're hair is shorter." Cas stated.

"Ah, yeah….Crowley though giving me a makeover would make me like him...but now that it's short it's easier to manage so...you know...more time to translate."

Cas sat up in the bed, his feet resting on the floor so he could face Kevin. "I'm sorry."

"For what?" Kevin asked confused.

"For everything… I should have returned the tablet to you."

Kevin just looked at him for a moment. "Yeah well I think one Word is more than enough to worry about right now. I almost have the second Trial translated. I think one of the students here named Harry might be connected somehow."

Harry stiffened under the Invisibility Cloak, and he heard a muffled gasp from Hermione. Castiel looked over at the corner of the room they were hiding in.

"You could try asking him." Cas said making eye contact with Harry. Kevin turned around to look at the corner Cas was looking at. "What...?"

Cas groaned as he stood up, took three steps and pulled the Invisibility Cloak off of the three Gryffindors.

"Harry? Ron?" Kevin asked.

"How did…?" Hermione squeaked.

Castiel tilted his head as he studied the three students.

"I see that our resident troublemakers have found their way here." Snape said with a sneer as he and Dean arrived back from placing the wards.

"Is there a reason that you decided now was a good time to come visit?" Dean asked.

The three looked at each other guiltily. "We just wanted to know what was going on." Ron finally said.

Dean looked Cas over. "Lay back down."

"Hello Dean."

Dean didn't reply, just looked at him in silence.

"I'm sorry." Cas said

"For what?" Dean said but his voice was cold.

"For everything."

Harry watched the conversation play out. It was almost word for word the same to what he had said to Kevin, but the feel in the room was colder this time.

"Everything? Like, uh... Like ignoring us?"

"Yes." Cas said looking hurt.

"Or like bolting off with the Angel Tablet, then losing it 'cause you didn't trust me? You didn't trust _me."_

"Yes."

"Yeah. Nah, that's not gonna cut it. Not this time. So you can take your little apology and you cram it up your ass." Dean left joining Sam in main room.

"Dean, I thought I was doing the right thing." Cas said following Dean.

"Yeah, you always do."

Sam pulled Dean to the side as the staff gathered back in their room. "Dude, go easy on Cas, okay. He's one of the good guys."

Snape pointed at the Trio to leave the bedroom. They trudged into the room in time to hear Dean say, "Dude, if anybody else - I mean anybody - pulled that kind of crap, I would stab them in their neck on principle. Why should I give him a free pass?"

"Because it's Cas."

Dean grunted. "Fine." He turned around and pointed at Cas who was stand in the middle of the room waiting. "But you follow what I say from now on Cas."

"Of course Dean."

Dumbledore was the last to arrive back with Professor Babbling. Dumbledore glanced briefly at the Trio before ignoring them and turning his attention to the four muggles in the room. "I must admit I never thought I would be meeting one of Heaven's angels while breathing."

"Angel?" Hermione squeaked before Ron elbowed her. The adults were ignoring them right now and he wanted to keep it that way.

"Is anyone following you?" Sam asked.

"No." Cas replied. "I no longer have what they want. I don't believe they will continue to search for me."

"Was it Naomi?" Dean asked.

"No. Crowley."

Harry and Ron glanced at each other their eyes wide. "The King of Hell?" Hermione gasped.

Everyone in the room looked at the Trio.

Dean's hand moved towards his knife. "Keeping up with Hell's politics?"

"Harry and Ron told me." She said nervously. Dean turned to look at the two.

"I told them Dean." Kevin jumped in quickly. "During Divination."

Dean relaxed after a moment and turned back to Cas. "How did Crowley get you?"

"One of Naomi's guards. It seems not all angels are loyal to Heaven anymore. Well more that they don't know who to follow."

A sudden commotion halted the conversation. Professor Trelawney made a grand entrance into the room, her shawl wrapped tightly around herself and her bracelets jangling. . "I felt a powerful draw from the Other Side." She announced dramatically, before she stopped looking at Castiel.

Her eyes widened and with a squeak she fell to the floor unconscious. McGonagall rolled her eyes and with a flick of her wand moved Trelawney from the floor to the couch.

Dumbledore looked at his Divination's professor for a moment before asking."Will you be joining us for long?"

Cas looked at Dean as if he was asking for permission before he answered. "I would be grateful for any lodgings you are willing to provide."

Dumbledore smiled. "As long as there is no threat to the students you are welcome to remain here. In return if you wouldn't mind aiding us on occasion I'm sure the Staff would be most grateful." Cas nodded.

"As for you three," Dumbledore said turning to look over his spectacles at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "I believe it is time for you to return to Gryffindor Tower."


	12. Letters

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Walden Macnair (Dark Wizard)

Percy Weasley (Wizard, Secretary to the Minister of Magic)

Cornelius Fudge (Minister of Magic)

Amelia Bones (Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement)

Fergus Murphy (Wizard, Muggle Liaison Office)

Hermes (Percy's Owl)

* * *

The news that Angels were real and that one was now living in Hogwarts was top secret; meaning that by the next day it had spread like wildfire throughout the student body. From there the students sent owls to their families telling them all about the angel that had appeared in Hogwarts looking for their Defense Professors, the Weasleys included. Arthur and Molly Weasley read over the letters back from their children, each excitedly telling them every detail of his arrival, with some extra information from Ron about him running away from other angels. They laughed over Ginny's letter thinking she was just making up stories, but when the twins collaborated the story and finally reading Ron's letter they were suddenly very concerned.

They decided to hold their questions until the Order meeting, where hopefully Dumbledore could fill in the blanks.

* * *

The Weasley's weren't the only concerned family. The Malfoys received the same type of letter from Draco. Lucius immediately requested an audience with the Dark Lord and found on his arrival that he was not the only one to have been told about the strange Angel.

"We must know more about this creature, but we must not reveal ourselves." Voldemort stood in front of his followers, his hand resting on Nagini's head. "With our inability to acquire more information about these Hunters through Legilimens," He paused, his gaze falling on Antonin Dolohov, who's bow deepened "We must find an alternate source.".

Lucius stepped forward. "What about the Ministry, My Lord? Dumbledore has hired on Muggles and now is hosting what the students are calling an Angel. This should be enough to request an Inquiry, 'if only for the safety of the students.'"

Walden Macnair, a tall muscular man with a black mustache stepped forward. "As the Executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures, I will request to join the Inquiry as well, my Lord."

The room was silent and still, the only movement being Voldemort stroking Nagini who had slithered down his shoulder to rest her head in his hand. The two men waited, and the silence dragged on.

"An Inquiry..." Voldemort said, "may be exactly what we need. Lucius you will speak with the Minister in the morning. I shall be expecting great thing from you both. Do. Not. Fail. Me." The two stepped back into the line.

With a wave the Dark Lord dismissed them and the Death Eaters disapparated leaving the Dark Lord with his thoughts.

* * *

Percy Weasley sat behind Cornelius Fudge the Minister of Magic as he gathered to discuss the newest rumors from Hogwarts. The meeting was held around a large round table with the Minister's Chair raised, and a permanent Amplifying Charm on the table to allow any speaker to be heard by all gathered.

The table was filled with more people then Percy had seen before including: Dolores Umbridge, the Senior Undersecretary, Amelia Bones the Head of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, as well as representatives from the Wizengamot; the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, mainly from the Beings division; Muggle Liaison Office; and the Hogwarts School Governors. He was also surprised to see a few of Fudges financial supporters as well, including Lucius Malfoy.

When everyone had finished arriving the Minister stood up. "Thank you for coming on short notice. As you have no doubt heard, there are strange rumors coming from Hogwarts." A general murmur of agreement filled the room.

"We are as of yet unsure how much of these rumors are true but we take the safety of the students as our highest priority." Percy nodded as he listened. The Minister had rehearsed this speech to him multiple times to make sure it was perfect. "As of now the rumors are: First Muggles are teaching at Hogwarts, and although we cannot interfere with who Dumbledore hires as teachers, we will be sending a select group to investigate their ability to provide the students with a proper education. As well verify that these Muggles are not violating the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy.

"And Second: An Angel is living at Hogwarts. For this we will be including members of our Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures with at least one member of each Division until we are able to classify which Division will be charged with becoming their Liaison.

"With the approval of those in this room we are requesting an official Inquiry."

Fudge sat down for others to take the floor. He pulled out his pocket handkerchief, using it to wipe some of the sweat off of his forehead.

Amelia Bones stood. "Will you also be investigating the rumors started by Dumbledore and Harry Potter that You-Know-Who has returned?" she asked before sitting down.

Fudge stiffened but it was Umbridge who stood up to answer.

"Hem, hem. Some untrustworthy persons have informed people that a certain Dark wizard has returned from the dead, but this is a lie. The Minister of Magic's office personally guarantees that you are not in any danger from any Dark wizard. Especially not one who has been confirmed dead." She said softly, then took a seat with a small smile that didn't reach her eyes.

A representative from the Muggle Liaison Office stood up. He was too far away to make out clearly but Percy thought he might be Fergus Murphy. "One of the letters I received from a student, mentioned that these muggles considered themselves 'Hunters,' and that they had known about and killed many of the Magical community." Gasps could be heard from around the room, but many who knew students at the school nodded. "This term is unknown to our Office, and we have no records of muggles that fall in line with what they are claiming. We will of course be adding this to our investigation."

Percy noticed a few of the wizards and witches in the room shift uncomfortably when Fergus had said 'Hunters'.

Amelia Bones stood up and waited until the room had quieted down again before speaking. "The term 'Hunter' is considered taboo because the only people who interact with them are Dark wizards and witches. That is why it has not been included in your records Mr. Murphy." Bones sat back down.

Heavy silence filled the room.

Someone stood up at the far end of the table, and although Percy squinted but he couldn't tell who it was. "How...how can muggles kill…" they stopped, cleared their throat and started over. "When will the Inquiry be arriving at Hogwarts?"

"They will be arriving in two weeks. We will make sure that all the needed preparations are meet." Fudge cleared his throat. "All those for the Inquiry?"

The vote was unanimously approved.

* * *

Harry, Ron and Hermione sat at their usual table in Defense Against the Dark Arts. They had arrived early with the rest of the class and Harry could tell that Hermione wasn't going to leave without answers.

"I guess since everyone is here we'll start early." Sam said as he stood up to start the lesson.

Hermione's hand was in the air before he could finish the sentence. "Is it true that the man who appeared in the Great Hall is an angel?"

Sam looked back at Dean and rolled his eyes, when he mouthed 'Told you.'

Sam sat on his desk. "Before we get into that, we should clarify one thing." All the students leaned forward hanging on his every word. "There is no 'true' religion. It's more of an all religions are true, deal. They all existed, and some are still don't think that just because angels are real that means it's the be all end all of everything. But since you are specifically asking about angels…"

Sam looked back at Dean who rolled his eyes. "You know I don't have to call him every time."

"He always answers _your_ calls." Sam said.

"Not always." Dean said cryptically but he closed his eyes and bowed his head. "Dear Castiel, get your feathery ass down here." Then he opened one eye and looked around the room.

The students all stared at him as if he were insane. Harry wasn't sure what he was expecting but for one of the professors to pray, although it wasn't like any prayer he remembered, was definitely not it.

The faint sound of wings filled the class, reminding Harry of the sound he had heard the first time the angel had appeared in the Great Hall.

"Hello Dean." Castiel said, from where he had appeared just next to Dean. Harry was surprised to notice he was still wearing the trenchcoat that he had arrived in, although there wasn't any blood on him this time.

Hermione's hand was back in the air. "How did you do that? You're not suppose to be able to Apparate in Hogwarts."

Castiel looked at her for a moment then looked at Sam and Dean who both gave a nod for him to answer.

"I'm not Apparating." He said but didn't elaborate.

Sam grinned.

Pansy Parkinson raised her hand. "What is Heaven like? Do angels really sit on clouds and play Harps?"

Castiel tilted his head to the side studying the girl. "This concept of heaven is heavily circulated but no that is not what it is like. Of course, there isn't one heaven. Each soul generates it's own paradise. Although in some very exceptional cases, like soulmate, some people can share a heaven." For some reason that Harry didn't understand Cas looked at the two brother for a moment. Sam and Dean also smiled at each other, before turning back to listen to Cas. "I favored the eternal tuesday afternoon of an autistic man who drowned in a bathtub in 1953."

"Mine was the Fourth of July 1996, when Sam and I burned down a field." Dean said without thinking.

"You've been to heaven?" A few of the students said in unison, the Trio included.

"You've died?" Draco said, and suddenly the atmosphere in the room was so heavy you could almost touch it. He was the only one who seemed to have realised what that statement truly meant. "Did it hurt?"

Dean looked down at his hands as he tried to figure out how to answer the question. "It depends on how you die. Sometime dying is the easy part. You make your choice and you make your peace with it." He barked a humorless laugh. "But Winchesters could never stand to see each other die. That was always worse than dying...or even what came after that…"

Harry glanced at Sam who was rubbing the palm of his hand with his thumb, and for a second he thought he saw guilt flicker across his face.

"But between Heaven, Hell and Purgatory... being alive, hunting, driving my baby down the highway and being with my brother was alway better."

"Plus Angels are dicks." Dean said.

The class giggled, the heavy atmosphere breaking.

"What is God like?" Ron asked.

"Missing." Sam said sadly.

"He left heaven not long after the Fall." Castiel said.

The class seemed to take a moment to absorb all the information they had gotten. Well... all but one.

Hermione's hand was back in the air. "What about Kevin Tran. Is he really just a muggle?"

"Kevin is a Prophet of the Lord." Castiel said in his monotone voice.

"Cas!" Dean exclaimed. "What part of 'Witness Protection' do you _not_ understand?"

"I'm sorry." Cas said looking sheepish.

"Don't worry about it Cas." Sam said patting Cas on his shoulder, "But I think it's time we actually started our lesson."

The class grumbled a little but they all pulled out their notebooks.

"Not today." Sam said with a smile. "If you'll pull out your wands please, we'll be going over some of the defensive spells you'll be required to perform for your O.W.L.'s."

* * *

"This is so frustrating!" Hermione said as she paced back and forth later that night in the Gryffindor Common Room. Harry and Ron were trying to catch up on their homework, with no help from Hermione who had told them they deserved it since they had waited so long in the first place.

"I agree." Ron said as he tried to write his Transfiguration homework as big as possible so it wouldn't have to be as long.

"Not that." Hermione replied. "The Winchesters! I feel like every time I finally get one answer there are suddenly twenty more questions I want to ask."

Harry looked up from his own homework. "Well they were hired for a reason. I would expect it to be pretty big to allow Dumbledore to hire muggles in the first place. It seems that Hunting is not as easy as they sometimes make it out to be in classes."

"That may be true but…" Hermione stopped talking when she heard the knock on a nearby window. "Isn't that Hermes?" She asked looking at a handsome screech owl.

"Blimey, it is!" said Ron throwing down his quill and getting to his feet. "What's Percy writing me for?" He took the letter and the owl departed at once.

"Open it!" Hermione said hovering eagerly. Harry nodded.

 _Dear Ron,_

 _I have only just heard (from no less a person than the Minister of Magic himself) that you have become a Hogwarts prefect._

 _I was most pleased and surprised when I heard this news and must firstly offer my congratulations. I must admit that I have always been afraid you would take what we might call the "Fred and George" route, rather than following in my footsteps, so you can imagine my feelings on hearing you have stopped flouting authority and have decided to shoulder some instead._

 _But I want to give you more than congratulations, Ron, I want to give you some advice, which is why I am sending this at night rather than by the usual morning post. Hopefully you will be able to read this away from prying eyes and avoid awkward questions._

 _I assume you are still seeing a lot of Harry Potter. I must tell you, Ron, that nothing could put you in danger of damaging your future more than continued fraternization with that boy. Seriously, Ron, you do not want to be tarred with the same brush as Potter. I am talking here about life after school too. As you must be aware, given that our father escorted him to court, Potter had a disciplinary hearing this summer in front of the whole Wizengamot and he did not come out of it looking too good. He got off on a mere technicality if you ask me and many of the people I've spoken to remain convinced of his guilt._

 _It may be that you are afraid to sever ties with Potter - I know he can be unbalanced and for all I know, violent - but if you have any worries about this, or have spotted anything else in Potter's behavior that is troubling you, I urge you to reach out to me and I will be happy to advise you._

 _Yes I am sure you are surprised to hear this, but I am bound to tell you that people here at the Ministry may have a more accurate view of his and Dumbledore's behavior. I will say no more here but if you look at the_ Daily Prophet _tomorrow you will get a good idea of the way the wind is blowing - and see if you can spot yours truly!_

 _I am sorry that I was unable to see more of you over the summer. It pains me to criticize our parents, but I am afraid I can no longer live under their roof while they remain mixed up with the dangerous crowd around Dumbledore._

 _Please think over what I have said most carefully, particularly the bit about Harry Potter, and congratulations again on becoming prefect._

 _Your brother_

 _Percy_

Harry looked up at Ron.

"Well," he said, trying to sound as though he found the whole thing a joke, "if you want to - sever ties with me, I swear I won't get violent."

"Give it back." Ron growled, holding out his hand, "He is… the world's... biggest...git!" He emphasized each word by tearing the letter until it was confetti then threw it into the fire. He sat back down in front of his homework and angrily started working on it. "We've got to finish this before dawn."

Harry sat down in the next armchair but his quill didn't move from the place he set it down, a large spot of ink was slowly growing on the page in front of him. He knew that half the people in Hogwarts thought him strange, even mad; he knew that the Daily Prophet had been making snide allusions to him for months but there was something about seeing it written down like that in Percy's writing.

Hermione stared back and forth at the two than held out her hand. "Oh give it here."

"What?" said Ron confused.

"Give them to me and I'll correct them."

Harry gratefully pushed his parchments to her, suddenly exhausted.

* * *

They had expected to have to comb Hermione's Daily Prophet to find the article Percy had mentioned. However, Hermione gasped as soon as the paper landed in front of her.

"MINISTRY HAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR AN INQUIRY AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY"

Harry, Ron and Hermione looked at each other before all leaning over and trying to read the article.

" _In a surprise move last night the Ministry of Magic unanimously voted for an Inquiry of the prestigious school._

' _The Minister has been growing uneasy about the going-ons at Hogwarts for some time' said Junior Assistant to the Minister, Percy Weasley, 'He is now responding to concerns voiced by parents, who feel the school may be moving in a direction they do not approve.'_

 _The Inquiry will be reviewing the recent appointment of their current Defense Against the Dark Arts Professors, muggles who claim to hunt dark creatures unaided. This as well as the arrival of a previously unaccounted for creature who claims to be an Angel, have pushed the Ministry to seek further information for all._

 _The Ministry's new moves have received enthusiastic support from parents of the students at Hogwarts._

' _I feel much easier in my mind now that I know that Dumbledore is being subjected to fair and objective evaluation,' said Lucius Malfoy, 41, "many of us with our children's best interests at heart have been concerned about some of Dumbledore's eccentric decisions in the last few years, and will be glad to know that the Ministry is keeping an eye on the situation.'_

 _The Inquiry will consist of multiple members of the Ministry including members of the Department of Magical Law Enforcement, the Wizengamot; the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures, and the Muggle Liaison Office. Each department is currently selecting and preparing for a full evaluation of the school, and is scheduled to start the second week of October."_

"Well," Harry said after a moment. "This will definitely be interesting."


	13. The Inquiry

Leaving the chaos of the Slytherin Common room, Draco went to find somewhere to do his homework in peace. Ever since the article had come out about the Ministry Inquiry that was all anyone seemed to talk about. Even as the wall closed behind him he could hear people making bets on how quickly the Winchesters would be fired.

Draco shivered from the cold of the dungeon and was grateful when he reached the upper floors. Finally arriving at the library, he found a corner in the far back where students rarely went, set his books down and fell into his Potions homework. He was almost done when the sound of books shuffling near him caused him to look up.

One of the Winchesters was pulling books down, flipping through, then either putting them back on the shelf or adding them to the growing pile in his arms. An automatic sneer appeared on his face, it didn't seem as if the professor knew he had company. Draco watched as he turned around, heading towards a desk at the far end of what looked to be open space, then ran straight into nothing with a resounding smack.

"Shit!"

"There are reasons no one ever comes to the Invisibility Section." Draco said with a straight face just loud enough to be heard.

"This happen often?" he asked rubbing his head.

"Only at the start of a new year."

The two looked at each other for another second and then the professor burst out laughing. "I am definitely bringing Dean here next time he annoys me."

Putting the books under one arm he held out his other arm to avoid anymore invisible bookcases and walked carefully towards the desk Draco was sitting at. "So…" he said pulling a chair out and sitting down. "Doing homework?"

"Er...yes." Draco looked back down at his homework and tried to ignore the giant oaf that was making himself comfortable in front of him.

"Me too. You wouldn't happen to know the best way to break a curse would you?"

Draco looked up suspiciously, "Why are you asking me?"

"Because you're here, and I swear I've read all the books in this library about wizard curses and breaking them."

"What about non-wizard curses?" Draco asked going back to his homework. Now if he could only finish this last paragraph he could go back to the Slytherin Common room.

A smile was slowly spreading across Sam's face. "10 points to Slytherin!"

Draco's head jerked up.

"That's genius!" Sam continued ignoring Draco's surprised expression. "No wonder the curse has been around for over fifty years. Wizards wouldn't think to look at other types of curses, and I definitely didn't. Just because some magic is in the world doesn't mean it's the only supernatural element out there."

Draco just stared at his professor as he scribbled something down, before putting it to the side. "So since you helped me, how can I help you?"

"Why do you think I need help, Professor?" Draco asked.

"First of all, call me Sam. And second, you're in probably the most avoided area of the school while everyone is gossiping about how long it's going to take your government to get us fired. I kind of would have expected you to be in the middle of the gossip. No offense."

"And why is that?" Draco's eyes narrowed.

Sam pulled out a crumpled newspaper clipping and held it out to Draco. "Because your father is one of the people that requested exactly that." Draco glanced at the article but it wasn't hard to tell which one it was.

MINISTRY HAS UNANIMOUSLY VOTED FOR AN INQUIRY AT HOGWARTS SCHOOL OF WITCHCRAFT AND WIZARDRY

"So...why are you avoiding your friends? And if you think you can lie your way out of this just know that I lie professionally."

Draco sat there for a long time trying to formulate his question. "I suppose I'm finding myself at a fork in the road where I wasn't expecting one...and things I found normal are suddenly strange."

Sam just sat waiting.

"Have you ever wanted to run away?" Draco asked.

"I am the master of running away."

"What happened?"

"It made things worse." Sam said with a smile. "I always found myself in more trouble than I could handle alone. Luckily Dean is the master of pulling my ass out of the fire."

His thoughts felt like scrambled eggs suddenly, so Draco asked the first question that came to mind, "You've killed before right?"

Sam looked at him in a way that Draco could only think of as gently. "I've killed more than my fair share."

"What is that like?"

Sam rearranged himself to a more comfortable position giving himself a second. "It depended, I guess. The first time I killed something I couldn't have been more than thirteen or fourteen.

There had been a bunch of murders in a town around the full moon. And all the victims were missing their hearts. My dad had caught wind of them a month earlier and we pulled into town just before the next full moon.

Dean handed me one of the guns, loaded with silver bullets and told me to stay low and keep watch. Dean loves werewolves, he finds them fascinating. That was probably the reason why when we got attacked he didn't shoot right away.

All I remember is watching as it launched itself at Dean, and then suddenly it was dead on the floor, three bullets in it's chest, and my hands shaking, wrapped around the gun that had shot it.

Dean grabbed me and told me I had done a great job and even my Dad told me he was proud of me. But you know what? Werewolves turn back when they die. I stared at the dead body of the person I had shot, a teenage kid who probably didn't even realize that they had been a werewolf. "

Draco gulped.

"Then it felt horrible. That's not always the case though. Sometime when you manage to protect something...those times...that's when it feels different. Not good exactly, but almost like it's a relief. The one time I did it for pleasure turned out to be one of the biggest mistakes in my life because I released something worse...And I became something worse."

"Do you kill every monster you come across?"

Sam shook his head, a strange look on his face. "No...Sometimes, when they aren't harming anything, we let them go. We've even helped a few…

If there's one thing I've learned in all my years of hunting it's that just because you were born with a destiny that says you're a monster, it doesn't mean you have to be. You make that choice. You and you alone."

Draco wasn't sure what to say, and he was saved from answering when Sam was suddenly overtaken by a coughing fit. He seemed to curl up on himself as he struggled for breath between coughs. Trying not to panic, Draco summoned a glass of water and offered it to Sam who looked grateful. The coughs finally subsided enough for him to drink and he was soon back to his normal self if a little paler than he had been before.

"Thanks."

"Do you need to go to the infirmary?"

"No. Don't worry about it." Sam looked at his watch and sighed. "If you still want to help though, you could help me carry the books back to my room before the Ministry gets here. I probably shouldn't have been digging into the lore just now."

* * *

The clouds over Hogwarts were threatening rain, and the wind that had kicked up was causing more than a few of the student body to pull their cloaks tighter. Harry looked around at the crowd that had gathered to welcome the Ministry's envoys. It reminded Harry of last year when they were waiting for Beauxbaton and Durmstrang to arrive for the TriWizard tournament. Except for this time it the atmosphere wasn't festive.

The Staff were gathered in the front of the school including, Harry was surprised to see, Professor Binns. Kevin was there too, although he was ignoring everyone and sitting on the grass with a pen and a notebook. He looked up and waved at Harry before going back to whatever he was doing. At the front of the group were the older Winchester and Castiel talking with Dumbledore, and no sign of Sam. Turning around Harry spotted him coming down the steps with Malfoy in tow.

Frowning he following Ron and Hermione, he made his way through the students trying to get closer to the front.

"What'd you bring the kid for?" They overheard Dean ask.

"Hostage." Sam said with a grin.

"I don't see how a hostage is required in this situation." Castiel said looking over Malfoy with a serious look. "But I agree that having one does make the situation more balanced." Malfoy's face drained of color.

The Winchesters shared an amused look. "I agree Cas." Dean said clapping him on that back.

"If you are ready I believe our guests should be arriving in just a moment." Dumbledore said and almost as one the whole student body turned to look at the sky.

There were no grand entrances, just a black spot in the sky that grew bigger and resolved itself into twelve wizards and witches flying in on broomsticks. They landed in formation and Harry was disgruntled to see that the witch that had been at his trial was the leader of the group. Dolores Umbridge was dressed in a fluffy pink cardigan and a black velvet bow on top of her head, which forcibly reminded Harry of a large fly perched unwisely on top of an even larger toad.

"Welcome to Hogwarts. I trust your journey was pleasant?" Dumbledore said.

"Yes." Umbridge replied.

The Inquiry were looking at the gathered the students in confusion. One of the witches stepped up next to Umbridge in formal black robes, her eyes rolling over the staff and students. Harry also recognized her from his trail, Amelia Bones, but he was grateful to see her.

"I didn't realize the whole school would be greeting us on our arrival." She said as she waved at Susan who had been hopping up and down trying to get their attention.

"Nor, I assure you, did we. But I'm afraid the excitement of a formal inquiry has attracted the attention of these impressionable minds." Dumbledore said with a twinkle in his eye. "May I introduce you to my Defense Against the Dark Arts teachers? This is Sam and Dean Winchester."

"Hey." they said in unison.

"This is Castiel." The angel nodded, "And the one on the ground over there is Kevin Tran.

"It is a pleasure to meet you." Amelia said, "It has been a long time since Hunters have been in Great Britain."

"Not as long as you would think." Sam said in amusement.

A man that Harry didn't recognize pushed his way to the front of the group. "Are there other Hunters here?" he asked.

"Probably." Dean answered loud enough for everyone to hear. "We'll talk more later if you want but we should finish introductions."

Kevin had been ignoring them all as he concentrated on the notebook he had brought when Sam put his hand on his shoulder to grab his attention. Kevin looked at the group in annoyance, but got up. "Nice to meet you." he said vaguely in their direction then turned back to Sam. "I managed to translate the last part of it into Jassic, but translating from Jassic to English is going to be a nightmare; so if you bother me again I'm seriously going to throw the Word at you." And with that he stalked back into the castle.

Harry wasn't sure who was more surprised the students or the Inquiry.

"It would seem appropriate to follow his example." Dumbledore said, "Would you please come in?"

* * *

Sam watched the interesting dynamics of the group. They seemed to have split into three camps. The pink lady and a man with a mustache leading the hostile camp. The strict witch who had spoken to them earlier leading the friendly group. And the last group seemed filled with all those that were curious but unsure what to think of them.

The Great Hall had been rearranged with one table in the center and a square outer table for anyone who wanted to watch the proceedings. All the tables were filled with food.

Sam looked in amusement as Dean put a few burgers with extra onions, on his plate. Something that he had convinced the House-elves was a necessary part of his diet. He wasn't really sure what to think of this. It's not like it really mattered if they taught here or not, but he didn't like leaving with a job unfinished. It always left a bad taste in his mouth. And he knew it would be worse for Dean. Ever since he had come back from Purgatory, Dean had thrown himself back into the job. Saving people, hunting things...well all but Benny. Sam wasn't really sure why Benny rubbed him the wrong way. Well he did but he wasn't going to admit it to anyone not even himself.

When everyone had settled down the woman in pink stood up. She had been introduced earlier as a Dolores Umbridge. "At the request of the Ministry of Magic we will begin the Inquiry into the two _muggle_ professors and their qualifications to teach the students here at Hogwarts."

"If you would stay sitting Ms. Umbridge," Dumbledore said with an amused smile. "It will make it easier on all of the older members to not have to jump up and down every time we want to say something, myself included."

Umbridge gave a little smile that didn't reach her eyes as she sat down.

Sam looked at over at his brother with a smirk. Dean looked like a kid in a candy shop. This sounded like it would be more fun than they thought.

"We shall try to make this as painless as possible." Bones said bringing the meeting to order. "Professors Winchesters what job did Dumbledore hire you for...exactly?"

"Two things." Dean said, "To teach his Defense Against the Dark Arts class, and try to break the curse on the position."

A murmur passed through the room. "Have you found how to break the curse?"

"Well you could kill the person who put the curse on the position." Dean said. "But since we have no idea where this Voldemort guy is…." a gasp rose up from the room.

"You-Know-Who is dead." Umbridge said in a tightly controlled voice that echoed strangely in the off the walls.

"Not really." Sam said bluntly. "See it takes a lot of energy to create a curse but you have to bind it to something. If he had cursed a person or an object like most curses then yeah he could be dead. But to tie it to a job...the only thing he could have bound it to is himself."

"This will need to be discussed further... Unfortunately now is not the time." Bones said with a look at those who were about to say something. "Let us continue with why we have gathered if you would please." They looked disgruntled but nodded and turned back to the Winchesters.

"When was your first encounter with our world?"

"Yours specifically? When Dumbledore asked us to take the job." Dean said. "That things go bump in the night? Since Sammy was six months old."

"Heh hem, If you didn't know Dumbledore before he offered you the job, who recommended you?" Umbridge asked.

"A witch, well I guess wizard named Don Stark."

No one seemed to recognize the name. "And what was your relationship to this alleged wizard?"

"We tried to kill him a year and a half earlier?" Sam said looking at Dean in an attempt to confirm dates. Dean remembered every job they had ever taken.

"Talk about marriage problems." Dean said laughing. "Maggie had caught Don cheating and was killing off anyone she thought was involved. Got to say they were definitely creative in their fight with the melting paintings and beating hearts cupcakes."

"You tried to kill him?" ask a wizard who had been introduced to them as Walden Macnair.

"Well Hunters don't exactly have jails for murderers. Ganking them is usually the best option."

Macnair nodded then started to ask questions in quick succession. "How do you kill a vampire?"

"You cut off his head." Sam answered

"What do werewolves eat?"

"Hearts."

"How do you fight off a dementor?"

"Patronus."

"Boggart?"

"The riddikulus spell."

"How do you kill an angel?"

" _You can't."_ Sam said realising what Macnair had been trying to do.

Dean was glaring at Macnair now and most of the Inquiry were looking at him strangely.

"I believe that will be enough questioning for now." Dumbledore said breaking the silence that had descended. "Let us all retire to our rooms for now. We can pick this up again after we are all refreshed."

"I agree." Bones said her eyes still on Macnair. "I think we should all clear our heads."


	14. Ron had a Headache

**New Characters: (In order of mention/appearance)**

Rolf Scamander (Wizard, Magizoologist)

Victor Henriksen (FBI Agent)

Remus Lupin (Previous DADA teacher, Werewolf, Marauder)

Eve (Mother of All Monsters)

* * *

Dumbledore showed the Ministry Members to the abandoned corridor that had been converted to living quarters for their stay. All their luggage had arrived earlier that morning and were sitting in front of each of their rooms.

Amelia waited until Dumbledore left before she turned confronted the man next to her. "Macnair." She said and her tone caught everyone's attention. "What reason could you possibly have to ask how to kill angels?"

Macnair gave her a look that said it should have been obvious, and she was stupid for having to ask. "I'm the Executioner for the Committee for the Disposal of Dangerous Creatures" He said. "If these angels prove dangerous, I need to know how they are disposed."

"I agree." A soft voice said, and Amelia turned to look at Dolores Umbridge sitting on one of the armchairs. "We know nothing about these creatures. They _could_ pose a threat."

"They're angels!" Rolf Scamander exclaimed. He had been hired as a Consulting Magizoologist for the Daily Prophet earlier this year, and brought as their representative for the Inquiry.

"That doesn't mean anything." Umbridge said with a giggle that made Amelia cringe. "Is that not the reason we were sent here in the first place? To find out more?"

They all looked at each other for a long moment before Amelia finally spoke. "We will overlook this, _this time_. But anymore comments like that and you will be removed from this Inquiry, _is that understood_?"

Macnair nodded curtly, before he turned and went into his room.

* * *

The next morning the Winchesters found that the Inquiry had split into three groups. One following Sam, one Dean and the last Castiel. They would have split into four groups, but when the fourth party arrived on the seventh floor corridor, they found the door to Kevin's room was suspiciously missing. They'd spent an hour trying to find out how to get in before giving up and joining the groups surrounding the two Winchesters.

They had agreed to meet up in the morning at breakfast but a few of the more zealot members were waiting outside the Defense Against the Dark Arts suite when they left.

Scamander attached himself to Castiel his quill and binder clutched nervously in his hands. He peppered the angel with questions all the way to the Great Hall, although Cas wasn't able to answer because Scamander kept cutting himself off in the middle of his own sentences to glare at Macnair, who was walking a few steps behind them, then he would forget his question and start asking a new one.

Sam was trying not to laugh as he watched whole fiasco. Castiel just looked at the man with a bewildered expression, his mouth half open as if he would have answered a question if he ever finished one.

When they finally arrived in the Great Hall, Sam noticed that a table had been set up for the Ministry officials. Cas took one look at the group before he turned to the brothers. "I will be in the infirmary if you need me.

"Don't angels eat?" Rolf asked, finally finishing a question.

"It's not a requirement."

"Don't let him lie to you." Dean said with a twinkle in his eye. "I saw him down over a hundred burgers in one sitting."

Cas looked at Dean with a tilt of his head. "That hardly seems to be a valid example."

"So you're saying you didn't eat all those burgers."

"No. I did." Castiel's eyebrows furrowed. "I just don't see the relevance…"

"Don't worry about it Cas." Sam said, shooting Dean an annoyed look. Dean smiled a fleeting smile that vanished when he saw that Sam wasn't going to laugh back. "We'll call you if we need you."

Dean nodded and when the angel wasn't looking he shot Macnair a warning look before he and Sam went to go sit down at the Staff Table.

When Cas's little trio turned around to go, a small flock of officials stood up from their table and followed. Sam noticed that the group consisted mostly of members of the Department for the Regulation and Control of Magical Creatures.

Breakfast was amazing as usual, toast and jam, pancakes, eggs, bacon, sausages, yogurt and granola and various cut up fruits. Dean had grabbed the coffee and was pouring himself some before he stole Sam's cup and poured him some too. After drinking half his cup in one swallow he started piling his plate with food, and every once in awhile adding something to Sam's.

After the fourth time this happened Sam had had enough. "Dude, I can get my own food."

"Mhmm hmm." Dean said around a mouthful of toast, before he dumped bacon on Sam's plate.

Sam just rolled his eyes and gave up. Trying to act natural he asked. "Are you going to change the lesson plan for the fifth years today?"

Dean looked over at Sam, shoving the rest of the toast into his mouth before answering. "Nope. Why, do you think I should?"

Sam looked over at the left over Ministry Officials who were currently eating their own breakfast.

"I don't know. Normally I'd say no, but these guys…" He trailed off.

"They're no worse than Henriksen." Dean said, "Plus I already made all the arrangements with Merlin over there. Even Cas agreed to help out."

"If you say so."

"I say so." Dean bit into a sausage. "Now shut up and eat your bacon."

* * *

Ron had a headache.

It hadn't been too bad when he woke up, just a little pressure behind his eyes. It didn't really hurt enough for him to want to go to the infirmary, plus it would probably go away after he ate something; it usually did.

He pulled his uniform on and ran a quick hand through his hair before following Harry out to the common room. He could see Hermione waiting near the entrance for them holding her textbook. When they were close enough he could see it was for History of Magic. Brilliant! Food and a nap would definitely make the headache go away. He'd just make sure that Harry sat between him and Hermione today. It's not like Binns would notice, or even care.

Harry and Hermione were making guesses on what the Inquiry would be doing today, and while normally Ron would have joined them, the headache was scattering his thoughts and making it hard to concentrate. He would worry about it after History of Magic….

Except walking into the Great Hall just make it worse. Everyone came down to breakfast at the same time, and the noise level caused Ron to flinch slightly when he walked into the room. His headache escalated to a dull throbbing while he ate. He didn't think he had _ever_ been so grateful to go to class.

When they got there he immediately took out his textbook and propped it up on his desk, got as comfortable as he could, and ignoring the glare from Hermione, fell asleep. Harry shook him away at the end of class and Ron groggily got up, rubbing his neck where he had slept on it wrong. His headache had thankfully gone back to a slight pressure.

The Potions classroom was cold when they arrived and Snape pointed to the board where the directions for the Strengthening Solution were written. By the end of class Hermione's was a nice clear turquoise while his was a murky blue. Unfortunately his headache was back and getting worse. Ron blamed it on a mix of the fumes from the cauldrons and reading Snape's tiny incense in Trelawney's room just added to it so that by the time he walked into the Defense Against the Dark Arts class, Ron was about ready to kill someone if it would make his headache go away.

He wasn't really surprised to see that the members of the Inquiry were all leaning against the walls with their quills and binders out. Umbridge was wearing pink again, but unlike her pastel pink from yesterday, today's would have probably given him a headache if he didn't already have one. He was definitely not going to look in that direction if he could help it. Luckily Harry picked the desk furthest away from her to sit. Now if he could just make it through this class in one piece he was definitely going to go see Madam Pomfrey about his headache...

One of the Professors moved to start the class and everyone got quiet.

"So...We've reviewed Ghosts, and gotten the basics on a few Defensive spells so far this year, but we need to make sure you're ready for your owl's" Dean said. Sam snickered in the background. "We're going to jump chapters a little here and move from spirits and spells to monsters and how to identify them."

Ron straightened up in his seat. A few professors had tried to introduce monsters to the classes in the past with mixed success. Quirrel was all about book study. Lockhart had set a bunch of pixies on the class before deciding that books were also the best option. Lupin had been fantastic with multiple in class examples including a boggart and grindylows, which had definitely been his favorite. And Moody had focused more on spells then monsters.

"Cas." The class looked around not really sure where he would apparate this time.

"Yes Dean?" He replied from the door.

"Is he here?"

Cas just stepped aside and a tall man in a black newsboy hat and coat appeared in the doorway. "Thanks kindly Cas. Glad to see you made it out of Purgatory." He said, patting the angel on the shoulder as he passed. "We'll finish catch'n up later."

"Benny." said Dean as he made his way across the room. They greeted each other a with a warm hug.

"It's good to see you Brother. Gotta say I wasn't expecting your call." Benny said

Dean laughed.

The two walked back to the front of the class and Ron felt a slight twinge of jealousy at how comfortable they were around each other. He considered himself and Harry good friends but he doubted either of them would have been able to hug each other in a room full of strangers. He looked towards Sam expecting something similar but Benny only nodded at him. Sam didn't respond he just watched the two and when they were facing the class again Ron noticed him grind his teeth, and a strangely hurt look flicker across his face before he could to hide it.

"Class I'd like to introduce you to Benny Lafitte." Dean said. "Ten points to the person who can tell me why I brought him here today."

Harry and Ron exchanged a confused look before they turned to Hermione. They could almost see her mind trying to figure it out. Ron looked around the room but even the members of the Inquiry didn't look like they knew. Well all but one standing near Cas who was almost jumping up and down in excitement.

At the front of the class Benny smiled. Ron felt a shiver go through him. The answer sat just out of reach, if only his headache wasn't trying to kill him.

After a minute Dean continued. "I was told that last year your teacher was a werewolf." A grin spread across his face. "A human by day, a freak animal killing machine by moonlight..."

Sam coughed.

"Right, well. Today we're going to study vampires."

Everyone in the room stood or sat up straighter their eyes all glued to Benny.

"There are a lot of stories about vampires, but as my dad told me when we first hunted some 'Most vampire lore is crap. A cross won't repel them, sunlight won't kill them, and neither will a stake to the heart. But the bloodlust, that part's true. They need fresh human blood to survive.'"

"If sunlight doesn't kill you does it do anything?" Hermione asked.

"Nah, just feels like a nasty sunburn." Benny replied

Pansy raised her hand. "Can we see your fangs?"

"Not really fangs. More like - an extra set of teeth." He smiled, and everyone watched as a second set of very pointy teeth descended. They reminded Ron of shark teeth. Benny retracted them after a minute.

"Vampires nest in groups of eight to ten." Dean continued. "And small packs are sent to hunt for food."

"Do you have a nest?" Goyle interrupted.

"Not anymore." Benny replied.

Seamus raised his hand. "What happened to them?"

"Dean and I killed them a few months back."

"Why?" Umbridge asked, Ron turned to look before he could stop himself and was assaulted by her bright pink outfit. He quickly turned his head back to look at Benny. He was safer to look at.

"Revenge." Benny said, "They killed me. Seemed only fair that I kill them."

Dean stepped back in. "I'm going to take back over before we get off topic. Thanks Benny."

"Of course brother." Benny stepped back and sat on the edge of the desk.

"We're going to start from the beginning." Dean grabbed a piece of chalk and started writing on the board. ' _How vampires were created.'_

"Way back forever ago Eve was born in Purgatory, she escaped and came to Earth where she started creating most of the monsters we know today, including Shapeshifters, Djinn, Werewolves, Skinwalkers, and a few years ago Khan Worms…"

"What's a Khan worm?" Draco asked.

"Worms that crawl in your ear and take over, killed with electricity...But anyway, she created the first of these races which are the Alpha's.

The Alpha's than created more of their races and for vampires the process is relatively simple. Step one: Get a human. Step two: Make the human drink your blood. Step three: Get the baby vampire to drink human blood and voila Full Fledged Vampire.

If you can catch the vampire between steps two and three, there is a way to turn the baby vampire back into a human."

"No there isn't." Umbridge said indignantly. Ron's head started to turn before he stopped himself. He would not look at her again, his headache was already bad enough, he didn't need to make it worse. "If there was a cure, the Ministry would know about it. How do you even know this _cure_ of yours works?"

"You don't have the cure? Well we didn't know about it either until a few years ago. It's an old Campbell recipe, it's not hard to make but you need the blood of the vamp that turned you." Dean said, "And I know it works because if it didn't _I_ would still be a vampire. Two days was long enough thank you. No offense Benny."

"None taken. Although this is the firs' time I heard about your being a fang. I thought you didn't like us much."

"I don't."

"Well I won't hold it against ya. We're not the most cuddly sort."

Dean went back to the board and wrote: ' _How to kill vampires'_ on the board.

"Vampires are fast and strong, so the best thing to do when going up against them is to drop by the morgue and grab some fresh deadman's blood." There was a chorus of "Ew…" from the students.

"It's basically poison for them."

"Now you're just tellin' 'em all my secrets." Benny said from the desk.

Dean continued as if he hadn't heard them. "Who here knows how to kill a Vampire?"

Harry raised his hand. "A stake to the heart?" Ron looked at him for a second before he remembered that Harry had grown up a muggle. He still didn't know a lot about the Wizarding world.

"Nope."

"Beheading." Hermione said.

"Correct. Best way to kill Vampires is to decapitate them."

Hermione raised her hand. "Professor Winchester, if your job is to kill monsters then how are you friends with a vampire?"

"Benny is the reason I'm topside and not roasting on a spit in Purgatory."

"And you let me hop along for the ride." Benny said, as he pulled out what Ron recognized as a blood-flavored lollipop from Honeydukes, and stuck it in his mouth.

They spent the rest of the class going over different ways to identify vampires, during which Ron kept glancing at Sam who stayed quiet on the side lines.

When class was finally over Ron gathered up his stuff and with a quick wave at Harry and Hermione went to the infirmary.

Or at least that was his plan. He didn't make it far though, before a voice stopped him. "I can help with that headache."

Ron turned around to see Castiel right behind him, still in his trenchcoat and his little group of Ministry officials not far away.

"Er...What?"

"Here." Castiel reached out and lightly touched Ron's forehead.

"Wha….Oh." Ron said as the pounding headache that he had been fighting all day disappeared. "Er… Thanks"

Castiel nodded.

Ron and Cas stood there blankly staring at each other for a while before Ron finally managed to excuse himself when the rest of the class started filtering out.

Well, Ron thought, since he didn't have a headache anymore, now was a great time get a few extra hours of practice in before dinner. He dumped his school work on his bed and grabbed his new Cleansweep Eleven. He could always do his homework later.

* * *

.

* * *

"Finally!"

Dobby, who was gathering the dishes in Kevin's room, jumped.

Kevin had gone back to staring at the stone after letting Dobby in, so Dobby hadn't expected him to say anything. Dobby looked at his friend, but Kevin just grabbed his notes and rushed out the door.

Pausing in his mad rush Kevin poke his head back into his room. "Thanks for cleaning everything Dobby! You're the best." And then he was gone.


End file.
